Contradictions
by Sopherofe
Summary: What would you do if you fell in love with the woman of your dreams, only to meet your imprintee less than a year later? Would you fight for your love, or choose your destiny? Jacob must make that decision: Leah, or Renesmee?
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

The day that Bella abandoned me has always been permanently and vividly etched into my memory. That worthless, filthy bloodsucker impregnated her with another parasitic spawn, and the entire family fled Forks, leaving without a trace. My life seemed worthless and meaningless now. I first considered suicide, but I knew that I would only hurt the other people that I still truly cared about.

Billy would most likely become depressed, and it would only allow me to stare at Bella from above—hopefully—wherever she was, living her content, flawless life. _Without me._

After a long, pain-stricken year had passed without her return, nor letters or phone calls, I gave up hope on her return, and attempted to redirect my focuses to school. I graduated, by the grace of God, and now I'm still living at home with Billy. My new goal has been to focus solely on the pack. When I turned twenty-one, still lonely, Leah came to me a proposed an idea; an idea which would change both of our very lives as we knew them.

I remember the day as if it were yesterday; August 18th, 2013. I was lying face down on the couch, sulking in my misery and depression over Bella. I seemed to have relapsed; I had gone almost two years without so much as a thought about her, but Sam and Emily tarnished my record.

Sam and Emily finally got married, and had their first child, a baby girl. They named her Isabelle, in honor of Leah's grandmother who had passed away just a few months before her birth. When the news reached me of the newest addition to the Uley family, I exploded. Literally…straight into wolf form.

How _dare_ he have the _audacity_ to name her that! One letter away from Isabella. I had myself convinced that he intentionally did it, and that he was _trying_ to drive me insane. I nearly ripped out his throat. Jared and Paul thankfully were quick-reacting, and they both restrained me long enough until I calmed down enough to phase back.

Although I was still shaking with rage, Leah calmed me down enough, and convinced me to go inside. Normally, I wouldn't have allowed her to touch me; Leah and I have never gotten along, and we practically loathed each other. Recently, however, she has become more…humane…and less sarcastic and bitter. She's slowly realizing that she was pushing away some of the only people who would accept and love her.

"Jake, stop, look at me. Everything is going to be fine, just breathe." She had her hands on my shoulders and was staring me straight in the eyes. I closed my eyes, concentrating on my breathing, and tried my hardest to push the thoughts out of my head. Unfortunately, the words _Isabelle…Isabella…Isabelle…Isabella…_ taunted back and forth in my mind.

"Why do you care, Leah? No one here cares about me; I might as well just feed myself to one of those _leeches._" I hissed. I thought I was going to be okay, to be able to deal with this, but Sam has driven me over the edge.

"I doubt he did it on purpose. He wasn't thinking." She whispered.

"CLEARLY. Leah, he _knew_ what he was doing. He is the one who found her in the GOD DAMN FOREST. HE KNEW HOW CLOSE THEIR NAMES ARE!" I roared, ripping away from her arms. I could feel the veins in my temples popping out against my skin as I knocked over the coffee table, sending Billy's fishing magazines flying every which direction.

Hot, angry tears invaded my eyes, stinging the edges. I felt my knees give out beneath me as I dropped onto the couch, balling my hands into fists and pressing them against my temples.

"Jake," she murmured, and I felt the cushion to my right bend beneath the weight of her body as she sank down on the couch next to me. For a few minutes, the room was silent, minus the faint sound of my nearly sound-less sobs. I felt her hand as she placed it on my forearm.

"Jake, there's something I've needed to talk to you about." She whispered. "And I need you to listen, and not interrupt until I'm finished." I could hear the pleading in her face as she spoke.

"In case you haven't noticed, now is not the best time." I grumbled. I know, I'm being an ass, but I didn't want to risk saying things to Leah that I would later regret.

"I don't want to wait any longer. I've been thinking about this for over a year, Jake, and I have to tell you. Now." Her voice hardened a bit on her last word; she was serious about something.

I hesitated a moment, and stared at her. Leah and I had never once—really—had a heart-to-heart conversation. The most we have talked was when discussing hunting tactics, and even then we rarely agreed on anything.

"_Fine_…:

"Jake, look at me," she pleaded. I took my fists away from my face and turned to look at her. Her big, caramel-colored eyes were filled with tears. "Jake, I want…I want you to marry me." For a moment, I didn't process the words she spoke. When the words registered correctly in my brain, I spoke.

"Ha, you're funny Lee. Now c'mon, really. What did you want to talk about?" I had expected Leah to curse since I saw through her joke, but rather, she frowned.

"Jake, I'm not joking. Too many years have we both been alone; rejected and thrown aside by the people we loved, who had once loved us back. Neither of us has imprinted, and we are already twenty-one, and I'm not getting any younger. I'm not going to die alone, Jake, and neither is my bloodline. Neither of us has much of a choice. Rachel doesn't carry the gene, and if you want to keep the pack alive, then this is the only way."

I half-expected her to look away from my gaze, to look at the floor blushing with embarrassment. But instead, she did quite the opposite. An intense, fire of determination blazed in her eyes, and she held my gaze the entire time. She was right. I had no other way to keep my bloodline alive, and I couldn't wait any longer to find out what might happen if I waited. The answer was sitting before me, and I knew I couldn't say no.

With a lump in my throat, I took Leah's hands in mine, and whispered, "Okay."


	2. Chapter 2: Revelations

**Chapter Two**

Word of our engagement spread like wildfire in California; however, it was my fault that everyone found out. Not long after the "decision" was made, I had an intense desire to go on a run—a _real _run. Hence I phased and tore off into the thicket of the woods that surrounded my house. The familiar buzzing voices of the pack filled my mind, and soon people were shouting at me.

_Jake, are you _kidding_ me?_ Jared's voice rang like an alarm in my head. Oops.

_Don't you _dare_ phase on me, Jake._ Jared warned, seconds after the thought crossed my mind. _You owe me an answer. _Regardless if he was right or not—which he was—I contemplated whether I was going to phase or not. It wouldn't do much good if I did, though. I sighed—well, snorted, rather, being in wolf form—and frowned.

_Yes, it's true. Do you have a problem with it?_

_LEAH? Jake, you've _got_ to be kidding me! She's a bitch! She's a cynical, know-it-all, sarcastic, stuck up—_

_ENOUGH! _I interrupted him, and he shut up. Although I wasn't the alpha, I was the beta, and still had somewhat of an authority over the other pack members.

_Jake, that's disgusting. I can't believe you'd stoop that low…I mean, I know you miss Bella and all, but that's just pure _desperation! Paul's voice chimed in my head. He was clearly revolted.

_Screw you, Paul. You think you ever deserve to be with my sister? Well here's new for you, pal. If I didn't love Rachel and care as much about her happiness as I do, I would have done _anything _and _everything in my power_ to make sure that the two of you didn't get together. So you can take your opinion and shove it up your ass. _I spat, and despite being at least thirty miles away, my lips curled back over my teeth, bearing my razor-sharp fangs.

_YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT HAPPINESS, JAKE? DO YOU KNOW HOW PATHETIC AND WORTHLESS YOU WERE TO THE PACK WHEN BELLA FIRST LEFT? _EVERYTIME _YOU PHASED, ALL WE HAD TO LISTEN TO WAS '_OH, BELLA THIS, BELLA THAT._' YOU ARE THE MOST WRETCHED PIECE OF—_

Then I phased back, butting him off. I knew he would be livid; knowing Paul, I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't come after me to start a fight. He was like a child, really; a hot-headed infant who has multiple tantrums during the week. That is what made him such a reckless fighter, especially when he was angry; he led with his emotions rather than his head.

That's when it struck me; why was I being so defensive? It's not like Leah and I are seriously _in love. _This whole concept of us as an _item_ was still relatively fresh in my mind—literally a day old—and I was reacting to their preconceptions as if she were actually my…my _fiancé. _For God's sake, I haven't even bought her an engagement ring! What on earth is going on with me?

I just insulted my best friend, my brother, and caused tension among the pack for no reason at all. All I had to do was let their comments roll of my back and ignore them, but no. I had to open my stupid mouth.

Or was I not overreacting at all? Could I really have feelings for Leah? I hadn't ever thought of her that way. Hell, there wasn't _time_ for me to think of her that way. I had been completely and totally consumed with Bella while she was here, and even when she _wasn't _here. I was an obsessed, love-struck puppy, and I was her crutch and doormat.

In my defense, Leah didn't make any effort to appear attractive to me at all. Granted, she was absolutely gorgeous. But that's not the type of attractiveness I am talking about. She was always grumpy, bossy, and overly sarcastic, _especially_ at the wrong time. She would always say something about Bella, and it would make my blood boil, which made me resent her more than I had the day before.

But was she reacting out of jealousy? Leah always hated Bella, and I had always thought that Leah did not have a concrete reason to hate her. Sure, Bella put the entire pack and towns of La Push and Forks in jeopardy multiple times, but never had she directly done anything to Leah.

Oh my God. Leah was jealous of Bella…because I was in love with Bella… when really; Leah has been in love with _me_ this entire time.

This made perfect sense, because Leah always beat me up and tore me down. She flirted like a kindergartener, always challenging me to races, punching and hitting me when I pissed her off, etc. She's been hiding these feelings under a mask this entire time, and I was too blind to see this until now.

Could I learn to love Leah? Learn to cherish every moment I spent with her? Yearn to be by her side when we were apart, and miss her every waking moment that she is not beside me? With the old Leah, this was impossible. However, Leah has shown me an entirely new side that she has not shown me before. She is… tamer, softer, and more kind. She is sensitive, and really listens to you when you talk to her.

Could I fall in love with Leah? I guess it's time to find out.

I didn't phase for another two weeks after my argument with Paul, and I avoided everyone in order to remove all chances of being ambushed. Leah came over almost every day, and I knew Billy was suspicious about something going on between the two of us. We had both promised each other that we wouldn't break the news to our parents until we had a ring, and until we were ready.

Thanks to my stupidity, however, we knew it was a just a matter of time before one of the guys said something to our parents, and then we would have no choice but to tell. Additionally, my doubt about falling in love with her seemed to dissolve each day I spent with her.

I knew I wasn't in love, but I had developed some sort of feelings for her. A crush perhaps. She had this laugh that lit up her entire face, and made my stomach tingle. She would throw her head back, her black hair swishing behind her, and sometimes even clap her hands together. I would catch myself staring at her face, lost in her beauty, and swiftly move my eyes elsewhere if she caught me. She would smile then, and ask me what I was staring at. I would then smile and say, "Nothing," and she would blush and return to whatever she was doing.

That was, of course, only after the first week.

During week two, I felt empty and lost when she wasn't with me. She brought in a wave of joy when I was around her, and it seemed to extinguish mere minutes after she left. She was like my own personal sun. I wanted to be with her every waking moment of the day, even if it was just sitting in my living room, watching the T.V.

I could feel myself slowly, and surely, falling in love. Falling for the one girl I never would have thought of that way, and falling _hard_. I was irrevocably in love with her, and there was no turning back.

It has been three weeks since Leah and I have been engaged, and it's time for us to pick out a ring. I picked her up from her house in the Rabbit, and drove her to Jared's. Her hair was down—as usual—and since I still had not yet installed the air conditioning, we rode with the windows rolled down. Her hair was black like a raven, and it billowed and whipped around her as the breeze blew through the windows. If Aphrodite were real, I was sure that she would look just like Leah.

We arrived at Jared's soon after, and before we walked through the doors, Leah made it very clear that I would _not_ be spending a lot of money on this ring. What she didn't know, was that I would be coming back here before dinner tonight, to get her the _real _ring. You see, I've been saving up since I was fifteen—all my work money—for this very occasion. I wanted my fiancé to have the best ring in the store, and Leah would get just that.

"Jake, we are setting a limit on the ring. Actually, no; _I'm _setting the limit. You have to promise me _right now_ that you will not pay over two thousand." Her arms were crossed, and her eyes were narrowed, daring me to argue.

"_Two_ thousand… Leah that buys you the band. Come on, let's be _reasonable_ here. Five thousand."

"Three,"

"Seven,"

"Forty-five hundred; say any more, and it goes down even farther." She ended the discussion and entered Jared's, leaving me standing outside. I love it when she does that; it's really quite alluring.

Leah and I were looking for almost two hours when she finally found the one she wanted. It was only four thousand, and was a silver band entirely encrusted in diamonds. I, on the other hand, had already found the _real_ ring that I would buy her. It was—unsurprisingly—one of the most expensive rings in the store, and it was the first ring that caught her eyes. She explained that she didn't want it, but I could see in her eyes that she was in love with it, and I knew that was the ring I would come back and buy for her.

We left the store at three o'clock, with three hours until we were due to appear for dinner at Leah's. When I dropped her off at her house, she kissed me on the cheek, thanking me for the ring, and got out of the car, strutting back to her house with enough grace to make a ballerina cry.

I idled there in her driveway, dumbstruck by her kiss, before I realized that time was ticking, and I still had to get ready, help Billy make his famous spaghetti, _and_ get the real ring. With my cheek still tingling from her touch, I peeled out of her driveway and sped back to the jewelry store.

Six o'clock finally rolled around, and I was more than eager to get to Leah's for dinner. Seth—being a part of the pack—was beside himself with glee and excitement, for tonight was the night we would announce the news to Billy and Sue. Leah had to threaten Seth so he wouldn't open his mouth; and when Leah is angry, that's one storm you _don't_ want to be in the way of.

My heart jumped into my throat when we arrived at her house, and my nerves began to kick in. As I helped Billy out of the car, I was so shaky that I nearly dropped the spaghetti sauce. He shook his head, rolling his eyes—probably thought Bella rubbed off on me—and rolled toward the house.

Sue answered the door, and she threw herself at me, kissing both of my cheeks before doing the same to Billy. I had always been like a second son to Sue. She was such a sweet woman.

"Oh, it's been too long, Billy!" She enthused,

"Ah, I agree, Sue. I've missed that good cooking of yours." Billy chuckled.

"Well, what are you two waiting for? Come in!" She then took the spaghetti from us, and led us to the kitchen.

"I hope you two don't mind, but Charlie is joining us for dinner." Sue's voice echoed from the kitchen. Charlie—I hadn't seen him in awhile. It would be nice to see Bella's dad again. I was hoping it wouldn't be awkward, however, considering that Charlie had always wanted Bella and me to get together. And considering the news that was going to be delivered tonight, I did not know whether his hopes would be crushed or not.

Leah appeared then; she was dressed up. Her hair was curled, little ringlets bouncing around her face as she walked, and she was wearing a _skirt_. I couldn't help myself, and my eyes trailed down her legs. They were muscular, lean, and tan from running.

I caught myself then, and knew she would probably sock me in the face had she caught me. She was wearing a navy blue bubble skirt, with an asymmetrical, white, scoop neck shirt. It was accented with a flower on her left shoulder. She had on three inch gladiator heels, so her head was even with my shoulder instead of my chest. Leah wasn't short—I was abnormally tall, reading six foot six—but I loved the fact that she was short enough for me to bow my head, resting it against hers. Needless to say, she was devastatingly gorgeous. Billy and Charlie had followed Sue into the kitchen, and it was just Leah and me, now.

"Hey," she smiled, walking toward me. Her heels clicked against the wooden floor like a melody.

"Hey. You look nice," I had _never, ever_, seen Leah in more than basketball shorts and a tee shirt; it had to be that way, however, since we were always phasing.

"Thanks, you don't look to shabby yourself." She straightened the collar on my shirt, and I could feel my skin burning—yearning for her hand to brush up against me.

"Ha, thanks. I wonder if the parents… suspect anything." I mused out loud.

"I don't think so… but there is only one way to find out." With that being said, she led the way toward the kitchen for dinner to begin.

Dinner went smoothly, as according to plans, and we were now waiting for the pack to arrive so we could reveal the news to Sue and Billy. Although many of them were still furious with me—Jared, Paul, Sam, and Collin—Quil, Embry, and Seth were on our side. Leah was in the kitchen doing the dishes, and I would have helped her, had Sue not insisted that I have a conversation with her

She was in the process of explaining to me how she spent her last few days crocheting, when Quil, Embry, Paul and Jared arrived. They were not fighting among themselves, which was good, I guess, but Sam was one who was most upset about the situation. In all honesty, I think he still has feelings for Leah. Obviously not love, but it almost feels like that middle school, _I-dated-her-so-no-one-else-is-allowed-to_ attitude.

Sue freed me, and went into the kitchen to assist Leah, leaving the pack and me in the living room, alone.

"Jake, my man," Quil hugged me, and Embry followed, patting me on the back. Jared and Paul stayed by the door, looking everywhere but at me. I had a feeling that they were not completely against Leah and I getting married; I felt as if they were acting this way more out of loyalty to Sam.

I was about to say hello to them when Sam himself walked through the threshold. The air in the room tensed, and I could feel his eyes as they glared at me.

"Hello, _Jacob_."

"Sam," I nodded my head, acknowledging him before plopping down on the sofa. Sue returned then, hugging each of the members before rushing back out to retrieve Charlie, Billy, Seth, and Leah. The Pack, Sue, Billy, and Charlie believed that we were here for a tribal meeting. Only Seth, Leah, and I knew what was really going to happen—we _were_ the ones who called the meeting, of course.

They were under the impression that Seth had picked up a fresh bloodsucker's trail, and we were going to discuss how we were going to handle it.

"Leah, hurry up, sweetheart. The dishes can wait!" Sue called when she returned to the room with Billy and Charlie in tow.

"Okay, Mom, just give me a second." We heard a few pots and pans clanking around in the kitchen before her quick _click, click, click_'s from her shoes sounded her arrival. I stood when she entered, and she came to my side. Everyone's eyes were on us, confused expressions painted across each and every one of them.

"Ahem," I cleared my throat, "I know many of you are under the impression that we are here for a tribal meeting, but that's not why we are gathered here. We wanted you all to hear this." I looked at Leah, and she nodded for me to continue. "Long story short, Leah and I are getting married." Sue gasped, Billy's eyebrows raised, and Charlie smiled. Sam stiffened in his seat, but Sue's cheers and tears stole the spotlight.

"Oh, Leah, my little girl is getting married!" She squealed, bursting up from her seat and barreling into the two of us. She hugged me, kissed Leah, and was crying tears of joy. It took her a few moments to regain her composure, and when she did, she took her seat again.

"But, I want to do this the right way," I continued before turning to Leah. Her eyes widened—we had not planned this part—as I knelt down on me left knee, taking her hands in mine. "Leah Abigail Clearwater, will you marry me?" I pulled the velvet box from my pocket then, and revealed her engagement ring—all six thousand dollars worth of it. She gasped, and had the ring not been so beautiful, I was sure she would have slapped me. Her eyes glazed over as I slid the ring onto her finger, and the three diamonds glistened in the light.

"Jake," was all she whispered as she gazed at the ring, and I swore I saw a tear streak down her cheek before she was in my arms. Some of the guys began cheering and clapping, and Sue was crying all over again, soaking Charlie's shirt. Leah pulled away from me then—seeming to remember that we were in the presence of others, and she was grinning from ear to ear.

Now, some of you may be wondering—how could I spend money like that without regretting and missing it? How could I spend money in the blink of an eye on something that seemed so insignificant in the whole grand scheme of things? The answer, ladies and gentlemen, is that I am in love.

After everyone went home, Leah and I went for a walk through the woods.

"Sure, sounds great; let me change real fast." She replied, before disappearing into her bedroom. When she returned, she was wearing a simple, above-the-knee, white sun dress. Her feet were bare, and with that, we took off into the forest. For awhile, the only sound was our feet crunching against the gravel and rocks. About a mile into the forest, she stopped walking.

"Why did you ask me out here, Jake?" Her head was slightly cocked to the side as she said these words.

"I wanted some time with you, alone." I admitted, and I could feel my cheeks flushing, despite the darkness. She smiled then.

"Why did you buy me that ring?" Her eyes narrowed slightly as she remembered this.

"Because I knew you wanted it; and it's the ring that any fiancé deserves."

"But why did you spend _so much money_ on it? I know how much it cost, remember?"

"Because, Leah," I whispered, taking a step toward her. I cupped her face in my hands, and continued, "I love you." And before she could respond, I pressed her lips to mine.


	3. Chapter 3: Preparations

**Chapter Three**

The next two weeks were spent planning the wedding. Leah chose our honeymoon destination to be _Fiji. _I'd never been out of the country—let alone Washington—and Leah was definitely planning big.

We had decided on having a small wedding on the local beach, with only close friends and family present. And since we were having a small wedding, we chose to indulge for the honeymoon. We would be married in a white pavilion, decorated with Leah's favorite flowers—Lotuses. She chose to decorate an arch which we would stand under to say our vows in vibrant red flowers, and her bouquet would be white Calla Lilies. A trail of red roses would make her aisle, and Clare would be the flower girl, sprinkling the floor with the petals of dark pink carnations.

Because of the unfortunate passing of her father Harry, Seth would be giving Leah away, and he would also be the best man. Seth had demonstrated the most loyalty to me as a friend and a pack member; hence I believed he deserved the honor more than anyone I knew. The whole Pack would be invited and included in the wedding—yes, even bitter Sam—and the maid of honor is going to be Emily.

This struck me as strange; Emily basically stole Sam's heart, which left Leah in a depressed and hysterical state. She never had completely gotten over Sam, until now it seemed. It would make sense for Leah to hate Emily, yet she is the maid of honor in the wedding.

"Leah,"

"Mhm?" She looked up from the computer screen, on which she was searching for our first home.

"Why is Emily the maid of honor? I thought you would, I don't know, despise her." She smiled before replying.

"Emily and I have gotten close these past few months; until recently, I was finally able to _let go_ of the… hatred I felt toward her. There was honestly _nothing _she could have done to prevent what happened. As much as I want to hate Sam and despise him for abandoning me like that, I can't. I can't hate him when I know that I would never understand. I can't understand the… _need_ and love he feels for Emily.

Without her, Sam might as well die. That's what I see when I look at the two of them together. Sam chose Emily, and there was not much she could do about it. Their paths have always been woven together as one. Ours just weren't." And for once, I did not see any trace of bitterness in Leah's eyes when she said Emily's name. She seemed to finally be at peace with herself and this situation, and I admired her for that.

"You're amazing. I doubt I would have _ever_ been able to be like that with… with _Edward_." His name still tasted like bile on the tip of my tongue, and Leah flinched a bit as memories of Bella no doubt flooded her mind. "Besides… my feelings for her would have been extinguished if they stayed here anyways, because I still would be where I am today: in love with _you. _I know that you may not believe that, seeing as how I was _obsessed_ with her, but I can feel it. I know that it's true."

She smiled then, seemingly content with my answer, and lightly kissed my cheek before turning her attention back to the computer screen.

"I found an apartment in Seattle we could move into. It's right on campus, and rent is only six hundred a month."

"_Only six hundred! _Leah, you've got to be joking; that's not cheap!"

"Babe, this is _on campus_ and in _Seattle _. I didn't say it was going to be inexpensive, but considering the prices of other apartments, this is cheap."

"We don't have to go to college in Seattle, you know that, right?"

"But I would like to. It's probably one of the best colleges in Washington."

"Who said we had to go to college here?"

"I'd like to stay close to family, Jake."

"Why don't we keep looking?"

I could tell she was frustrated with me, but she seemed to agree with me, and continued looking after heaving a deep sigh. She continued searching for about two hours—I had fallen asleep—before she woke me up with more news.

"I found the _perfect_ place, Jake. We can go to college at Peninsula College, and we can stay off campus, and rent is _as low as _three hundred a month! And we aren't even on campus. We have got to move in there."

I yawned groggily, and used my fists to rub my eyes. Honestly, I didn't care which college we went to, and as long as Leah was happy, I was happy.

"Sounds good, babe." I yawned closing my eyes again.

"You're so laid back, you know that?" She said, closing the laptop and laying on top of my chest, resting her chin on my heart.

"I've heard that a couple of times."

"Well it's true." She murmured. We lay like that for a few minutes, soaking in each other's company. When I looked back down at her, her eyes were peacefully closed. I knew the rush of wedding plans was taking its toll on her—along with the negative storm of energy brewing within the pack—and it exhausted her. She was breathing evenly and deeply, and I merely wrapped my arms around her before closing my eyes as well.

"Goodnight, Leah love." I murmured.

The next morning, we went over to Leah's to discuss some of the wedding plans with Sue. She was ecstatic that Seth would not only give Leah away, but be the best man. Leah was jubilant about the approaching date (March 30th) and was furiously scribbling notes onto a piece of paper with wedding plans. While she and Sue took care of business, Seth and I went into the yard and wrestled for three hours before being called back in for dinner.

It basically took every ounce of my self control to keep my hands off of Leah during dinner. She had on short, white shorts, and a baby blue tank top. I could feel my eyes feasting on her, and I quickly forced myself to advert my eyes during dinner.

While we ate, however, she allowed me to place my left hand on her upper thigh, and I could sense her arousal in the air. When Sue disappeared into the kitchen to prepare dessert, we both excused ourselves and retreated to her bedroom where we made out like teenagers before returning. My hair was tousled, and Seth looked revolted—Sue, thankfully, didn't notice. Bless her heart.

After dinner, Seth, Leah and I took off into the woods for a pack meeting. We were the last to arrive, and Sam was _more_ than displeased.

_You're late._ His growled acidly.

_We were having dinner, _Sam. Leah's voice was full of icicles, and a few of the pack member's flinched at her hostility.

_You were obviously doing a little more than eating, _Paul chimed in, referring to our memories of Leah's bedroom, and the rest of the pack snickered.

_That's an invasion of privacy! _Leah growled, baring her teeth as a snarl rippled through her chest.

_Oh shut up; it's not like you aren't used to it by now. _Paul snapped.

_Don't you talk to her that way,_ I roared, my lips curling back and revealing my canines.

_Enough,_ Sam ordered, and everything was once again calm. _Now, we are going to focus on the subject at hand. Jake, Leah, I'm sure the two of you have figured out by now that this meeting was not called to order to _really_ discuss pack tactics, et cetera… The pack and I agree that the two of you should not get married._

_Hey now, since when did _I_ agree to this? _Seth interjected.

_Yea, I never agreed to this either,_ Collin added.

_That makes three of us…_ Jared said.

_Well, the majority of the pack and I believe that the two of you are making a mistake._ Sam continued.

_Okay, two things. One, that's _half_ of the pack; half wants us to get married, and half don't. Two, when the hell was this _your _business anyways? Yea, Jake and I seem to be… rushing into things a little bit, but I love him and he loves me. Would you all seriously want to come between something like that? If that's the case, then you all aren't good friends, _at replied. I winked at her, and nodded my head in agreement.

_I never said it was my business, Leah. But considering that we're a family, we felt that this decision should be made as a pack. A group. We are only voicing our opinions, and what we think is best for the both of you. _Sam replied defensively.

_That is the biggest crock of shit I've ever heard, Sam. You are clearly against Leah and me getting married for your own selfish reasons. What those reasons are, I don't know, but this is not for the pack's benefit. If you even gave a damn about me and Leah, then you would want us to be happy for once in our lives. It's because of you that Leah has been upset all this time. It's because of Bella that I've been miserable at best. Now that Leah and I are finally happy, you're saying you want that to end? I don't think so, Sam. This is not your decision_.

I am not going to sit here and let Sam talk like he's self-righteous. Leah and I are getting married. Case closed.

_When you grow up a little bit, we'll talk again_. I added curtly. With that being said, Leah and I left the meeting.

After the meeting with the pack, Leah and I went for a run through Canada. As always, I let her win; I suspected that she knew I was letting her win, but she accepted the victory nevertheless. After we phased back to our normal selves, we cuddled under the stars in an empty meadow. In the morning, we took a walk on the beach as the sun rose and collected sea shells. The smell of brine and salt swirled around Leah, blanketing her hair in its scent.

We then headed back to her house for breakfast, which her mom was setting on the table when we walked through the door.

"There you two are! I made your favorite, Jake; blueberry muffins, scrambled eggs, and bacon." She smiled, her eyes crinkling at the edges and exited back to the kitchen just as Charlie walked down the stairs—hair sticking up every which way. I raised my eyebrows, and he grinned and gave me thumbs up before sitting down at the table and picking up the newspaper.

Breakfast was relatively pleasant, and afterward we headed back to my house to visit with Billy. He was already up, watching football on the television when we walked in. His entire face illuminated when he saw Leah, and she pecked him on the cheek.

"Hi Billy, how're you doing?" She asked cheerfully, plopping onto the sofa next to his chair. He grunted a hello and proceeded to fill her in on how his day was going, and how he was disappointed in how the game was going. All the while, I stood in the threshold, marveling at Leah's beauty as it radiated from her.

Her long, midnight black hair reached her mid back, and she looked like an angel in her all-white dress. Her smile melted my heart into my ribs, and her laughter was a symphony to my ears. How was I so lucky? Was I this deserving?

That's just the thing—I wasn't.

"Jake, are you going to sit down?" Her voice brought me out of my reverie, and I nodded, swiftly closing the distance between the two of us, taking a seat next to her. Naturally, I wrapped my arm around her shoulders, and she leaned into me, sighing and closing her eyes. Billy's attention was now completely on the game, so we had some sense of privacy.

It really took all of my self control not to pounce on Leah right then and there, but I restrained myself. Billy would most likely be scarred for life if he had to witness me making love to Leah. Not that I planned to—not until we were married of course,—but that doesn't mean I still don't fantasize…

"Well, Billy, we won't intrude any longer. C'mon, Jake, I'm heading over to Emily's. She's helping me discuss and arrange the wedding plans." She stood from the couch, straightened the skirt on her dress, and extended her hand to me. I blinked a couple of times, processing what she said, and slowly rose from the couch, intertwining her fingers with mine. And with that, we exited the house, with everything right in the world at last.

It was the day before the wedding, and as usual, Leah and I were walking to Emily's.

"Leah, since when are you and Emily good friends?" I asked as we walked hand-in-hand toward Emily's cottage. They had spent the past three days together at Emily's, and it never hit me until now that their friendship didn't make sense.

"Awhile, I guess. It didn't make sense for me to _not_ like her, considering what happened was completely out of her control. Besides, it doesn't matter anymore. Sam means nothing to me." She replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I guess that makes sense. I just thought girls were… I don't know, super sensitive about that kind of things? You guys seem to hold grudges easily."

"Well, most girls do. They get wrapped up in the situation, following their emotional instincts rather than looking at it from a logical point of view. In situations like these, the other girl always gets blamed, and the guy gets off unscathed. When in reality, it's faults on both parties."

Wow, Leah had so much grace… Something I wish more women had. We were approaching Emily's house now, and I was silently hoping the Sam wouldn't be there. Although things between Emily and Leah were okay, Sam was still being a jerk, and I really did not want him in my presence. Nevertheless, I would try my best to behave for Leah's sake.

Once inside, Emily and Leah disappeared into the living room, and were talking in hushed tones, giggling every now and then. I made myself at home—in the kitchen, of course. Emily always made the most delicious dishes, and my head was inside the refrigerator, rummaging through her stash of muffins when a husky voice spoke.

"Hey, those are _my _muffins." Sam's voice came from behind me. I jumped, hitting my head on the top of the fridge before I pulled my head out. I spun around, rubbing my head.

"Too bad." I smirked, taking an enormous bite out of the moist muffin, sending crumbs raining to the floor. At first, Sam's face was blank, but slowly, a smile spread across his face, and he chuckled, snatching the other muffin from my hand and devouring it alongside me.

Leah appeared in the threshold a few moments later, her left eyebrow raised. "So did you guys kiss and make out?" She teased, walking over to me and wrapping her arms around my waist. She rested her chin on my chest, and grinned, flashing me the smile that drives my hormones insane.

"Yes. Sam decided to stop being a prick," I playfully punched him in the shoulder, and a small smile played across his lips before me simply nodded. Satisfied, Leah pecked me on the cheek and disappeared out the door, back to Emily. I could feel my cheek was on fire, and there was a buzzing in the pit of my stomach.

"Man, you really love her, don't you?"

"Can you tell?" I was a bit self conscience now.

"You're blushing like a school girl." He snickered, turning back to the refrigerator.

"Asshole," I mumbled my face still hot.

That night, before I walked Leah home, we went to the beach for a swim. The beach had always been Leah's favorite place—besides the forest—and I wanted make our last night as fiancés special. The wedding was less than twenty-four hours away now, and I can't say that I'm nervous, nor am I getting cold feet.

I have been waiting for this moment my whole life, and now that it is here, I don't ever want to turn back. I haven't been more attracted to Leah in my life, and tonight, my limits are definitely being tested. I had seen Leah naked plenty of times before, yet although I had my back turned, it took all of my self-control not to spin around, allowing my eyes to feast on her body. I closed my eyes and concentrated on something else—like the fact that I would be a married man tomorrow. I wouldn't be little Jacob Black anymore; I would be a true man.. Leah would be mine forever.

"Hey wolf boy, you aren't going to make me wait forever, are you?" Her voice was playful, and I felt her hand on my shoulder, and a smile spread across my face. I turned around then, and scooped her up in my arms, her legs dangling over my left arm. She squealed and wrapped her arms around my neck, throwing back her head as a few giggles escaped her lips.

I quickly waded into the chilly waters, yet it felt good against my hot skin. I gently set her down in the water, and held her in my arms, her head on my chest. This was a picture perfect moment, and I wished more than anything to just spend the night like this with her in my arms.

"I love you," I murmured against her hair.

"I love you too," she replied.

We kissed then, under the twinkling twilight, and I knew that nothing could ever go wrong again, as long as she was in my arms.


	4. Chapter 4: Vowes

**Chapter Four: Vowes**

I woke up the next morning to the sound of Sam and Paul bursting through my bedroom door. This startled me awake, and I fell off my bed, smacking my head on the hardwood floor.

"Thanks, assholes." I grumbled as I got to my feet, rubbing my temples.

"Aw, Jakey, don't be mad; it's your wedding day!" Paul chimed, putting me in a headlock and giving me a noogie. I punched him in the stomach and shook out my hair before grinning at the both of them. I hadn't been happier in my life.

I could feel both of their eyes on me, and I could see the sadness in Paul's eyes—he had been begging Rachel to marry him for the past year and a half, but she is still persistent about graduating college before she settles down. She loves him—he knows that—but I can see that it's killing him inside to have already witnessed his two best friends marry.

"You look so happy, man. I'm really glad you're finally happy."

"I feel complete. I finally knew what I was missing all along; I kept chasing after something that was never mine, and all I did was go farther and farther away from the precious love that had been there for me all along. Thank God Bella left; my eyes wouldn't have opened had she not."

And as I said those words, for the first time in my life, my stomach didn't ache when I said her name, nor did my heart sink at the sound of it, knowing she would never be mine. Now, when I so much as think about the name Leah, my heart accelerates, and my stomach begins to buzz, my heart melting into my ribs

"Man, Jake, that's pretty deep."

"I know it may sound hokey, but I love her. I can't live without her."

"Did you imprint? Jake, how could you not have told us?" Sam's brow was furrowed, and I saw a frown on his face.

"No… unfortunately not… but I know that there's no one I would rather be with than Leah. Nobody—no stranger—would change that." I saw the doubt in Sam's eyes—he most likely felt the same way about Leah before he met Emily—but I know I'm different. I know I won't ever leave her, as long as I live. She is my life, my purpose. Without her, I am nothing. My life has neither meaning nor value.

Needless to say, I am ready.

The wedding was set to begin at three o'clock sharp, and it is now four thirty. Nearly all the guests have arrived, and I am nearly about to burst from my skin as the anticipation and excitement flow through my veins. Sam is holding onto one of my arms, with Jared on my other side, gently patting me on the back.

"Relax, man. You can do this; you've been waiting for this all your life. Everything is going to be fine."

"But what if I forget what to say? What if I screw up my vows?" I had been replying in my head my vows over and over again, nearly saying them in my sleep. Paul had almost shoved his tie down my throat, because he claims that he himself has my vows memorized, verbatim.

"You won't. I thought I would forget my vows, but when the moment came, with Emily standing before me, it was as if it was never a struggle at all. My vows were perfect; exactly as I had written them." Sam reassured me.

I sure hoped he was right.

Two forty five. All the guests have taken their seats, as well as the bride's maids and their dates, and Emily, the maid of honor. Our Priest, Harold, one of Billy's fishing buddies, is perched at the altar with me.

The wedding is everything Leah seemed to have pictured. Row after row of white chairs are covered in a canopy of white twinkling lights, with a snaked trail of red rose petals weaving a way for Leah's aisle. It ends at a white pavilion, in which we would be married in.

Sam catches my eye and gives me thumbs up, while Jared signals for me to take a deep breath. I merely nod my head, acknowledging their gestures, and close my eyes, praying for everything to go as planned.

When "_The Wedding March_" began playing from the organ—Collin's mom—my heart nearly stopped. I heard hushed gasps from the crowd as Leah made her way down the aisle—her right arm hooked with Seth's. She looked painfully beautiful. Although she had her veil on, it was as if I could see straight through it.

Her hair was in soft, bouncy ringlets. Her makeup was subtle, yet just enough to accent the perfect way her eyelashes fan out around her chocolate brown, doe eyes. Her earrings are diamonds, dangling down to almost her shoulder, and her dress accented her figure in just the right way… I thought I was going to have a heart attack at the altar.

In addition to her veil, she wore a diamond encrusted headband, along with a heart necklace. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever lay eyes on, and she was all mine. I side-glanced at Sam, and his eyes were about to bulge from his skull—as were all the other bride's maid's dates. I suppose they never saw Leah and her true beauty before.

As they approached the pavilion, Leah took her steps one at a time; precisely placing both feet on each marble step before ascending the next four steps to the altar. Seth winked at me as they stood in front of us, and Harold cleared his throat before beginning the ceremony.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered together on this beautiful afternoon, in the presence of God, to share with Leah and Jacob as they exchange vows of their everlasting love. Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"

"Her Mother and I" replies Seth, and he places Leah's hand in mine and takes his place next to me. Leah gently squeezes my hand, and winks at me through her veil before turning to face Harold. I intertwine our fingers, take a deep breath, and do the same.

"As Leah and Jacob take their vows today, we are privileged to witness the joyous love of a new family—a family that will be nourished and nurtured through the devotion of two separate individuals growing together through the common bonds of love. May their marriage bring them the peace, joy, comfort and contentment that is known in the hearts of all God's children. And may Jacob and Leah both look forward to each new season of their marriage—just as the world looks forward to each new season of the year. For all seasons bring with them their own special moments and memories."

"An essential requirement of a good marriage is a strong bond of real friendship and trust. Leah and Jacob, your love for each other will grow deeper with every passing day, but it's important to remember that your love stands on a foundation of genuine, mutual affection and respect for each other. To truly love another person is to be willing to accept both their strong points, and their weak points, with equal measures of understanding and respect. The vows you are about to exchange will serve as a verbal representation of the non-verbal emotions that are as real as anything that can be seen, heard, or touched; for it is not the words that you will speak today that will bond you together as one—but the strength of the love and commitment found deep within your souls.

"At this time, I'll ask you, Jacob, and you, Leah, to face each other and take each other's hands. Jacob, will you take Leah to be your wife, your partner in life and your one true love? Will you cherish her friendship and love her today, tomorrow and forever? Will you trust and honor her, laugh with her and cry with her? Will you be faithful through good times and bad, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?"

"I, Jacob, take you, Leah, to be my partner, loving what I know of you, and trusting what I do not yet know. I promise to love and cherish you through whatever lie may bring us, and I promise to fall in love with you more than I did the day before. I will be yours in times of plenty, and in times of want; in tomes of sickness, and in times of health. In times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure, and in times of triumph. I promise to respect you, and to care and protect you; to comfort and encourage you, and to stay with you for eternity. I do." I whispered, sliding her wedding band into place.

"Leah, will you take Jacob to be your husband, your partner in life and your one true love? Will you cherish his friendship and love him today, tomorrow and forever? Will you trust and honor him, laugh with him and cry with him? Will you be faithful through good times and bad, in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live?"

"I Leah, take you Jacob, to be my partner in life—my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more with each coming day and I will trust you, respect you, laugh with you, and cry with you. I take you to be my constant friend, and my faithful partner from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family, and friends, I offer my solemn vow to love you faithfully, through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward, until death do us part. I do." She murmured, gently sliding the wedding band onto my left ring finger.

And together, in perfect unison, we both continued with, "Entreat me not to leave you, or to return from following after you, for where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. And where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord do with me and more, if anything but death parts you from me."

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

As the words I've been waiting to hear all my life were spoken, I gently lifted the veil from Leah's face, gently cupping her face in my hand. I bent down and pressed her lips to mine, sealing our lives together.

Leah and I decided to do things old fashion, and after we were married, we "ran" into a limo, and drove away. As far as Leah knows, we are on our way to Seattle, to take our flight to Fiji. However, I arranged to make a small stop on the way; Port Angeles. If I had the timing right, we would be arriving just as sunset began.

We are currently in the limo, and I have my arm around Leah as she rests her head on my chest. Her eyes are closed, and we sit in silence, with our fingers intertwined together.

"I love you," I murmur into her hair, kissing the top of her head.

"I love you, too, Jake." She whispers, snuggling her face deep into my neck. I couldn't believe this was really happening; I was with the love of my life. She was _mine_. I had waited twenty-one years to finally have her, but it was well worth it.

All the heartache I went through, all the rejection and abandonment…it was all worth it. Because now I truly know what it feels like to be in love, and to be loved back. I know what it feels like to have a quality wife; a best friend. And I wouldn't appreciate her nearly as much as I do now if I hadn't been kicked around. I wouldn't appreciate her for loving me and for truly valuing me. I wouldn't know what it felt like to be underappreciated.

But Leah fixed all that. She brought me back to life; she saved me. She made my life worth living, and she made me feel alive. I knew that together, there wasn't anything we couldn't do; because we would have each other. For eternity.

When we finally reached the beach, I led Leah to the doc which stretched farthest into the sea, staring out into the sunset. I stood behind her and wrapped my arms around her, with her head on my shoulder. I kissed the crown of her head, and she sighed contently.

In time the glowing, cratered moon began its seeming rise from the sea, casting a cylinder of light across the slowly darkening water, splitting itself into a thousand different parts, each brighter and more mesmerizing than the last. At exactly the same moment, the sun was meeting the horizon in the opposite direction, turning the sky red and orange and yellow, as if heaven above had suddenly opened its gates and let all its beauty escape its holy confines.

The ocean turned golden silver as the shifting colors reflected off it, waters rippling and sparkling with the changing light, the vision glorious, almost like what I imagined the beginning of time would have happened. The sun continued to lower itself, casting its glow as far as the eye could see, before finally, slowly, vanishing underneath the waves.

The moon continued its slow drift upward, shimmering as it turned a thousand different shades of yellow, each paler than the last, before finally becoming the color of the stars. Leah watched all this in silence, my arm tight around her. As the sky was finally turning to black and the first twinkling lights began to appear in the distant southern sky, I took her in my arms. I gently kissed each of her cheeks, the tip of her nose, and then finally her lips.

Being with Leah made me realize what love truly is. Love is every emotion, tangled together and woven into a delicate web, beautiful and complicated…a web so fragile that it can be brushed away by a stroke of the hand, and yet so strong, that once it has you trapped in it, you will become more and more tangled in it. Some people may not even see the web as they go through their life; some may fly into it unexpectedly, and some spend their whole life searching for it, this glittering evasive thread of love that joins so many lives together in so many wondrous ways. And what does love feel like?

Love feels like your heart is about to break and burst and burn to ashes, all at the same time. Love feels like the whole world is suddenly beautiful, and happy. Love feels like you can do anything and be anyone, except you don't have to—because this love is all that you need. Some people claim that you cannot live without breathing. I believe that just as equally, we cannot live without love. We will be alive, but not living, unless we are loved. Love fills your spirit like oxygen fills your lungs. Love feels like every single feeling—the joy that you have found it, the sorrow that so many do not know it, and that so many suffer trying to find it. The fear that you might lose it, the anger that you should have ever have had to live without it. The hope that it might transcend all else, and be forever. _Love changes everything_, and since you are a chief part of your view of everything, it changes you. In love, we are inspired to become better people, live better lives, and better the lives of others. It transforms the way we see the world, and better allows us to see the beauty in everything and everyone. We can see others more clearly, and we can hear them speak to us without words.

We treasure even more closely the touch of each breeze, and the warmth of each smile, because only now that we have experienced such a love do we truly begin to understand what real loss really is.

We fear to lose love, and at the same time, we trust it not to desert us. Love is beauty in its purest and yet most complex form. It can be seen in everything in many ways; from a mother loving her child, to two lovers in love with each other, to the gardener tending so lovingly to his flowers and to nature, to the child who nurses a pet spider. Love never fails to surprise, never ceases to amaze, and never stops growing inside us. Love can never be broken, only sometimes forgotten. Love is always there for those who are willing to see it; it is not the love that is scary, only the fear that we may lose it, or that we may be hurt. We fear to give another person the ability to harm us, ad we can only do that by opening up our loving heart to them.

And as the moon slowly began to appear in the night sky, I bowed my head, and slowly whispered in her ear, "_That_ is exactly how I feel about you."

After watching the sunset, Leah and I were whisked away toward the airport. Our destination: Fiji. I was more than excited for the trip; it was my first _real_ out-of-state, out-of-_country_ trip in my life. Better yet, I was going there with my _wife. _On our honeymoon. Life couldn't get any surreal than this. My life was finally becoming what it was destined to be. I knew, now, for sure, that I would be a father.

We were at the terminal now, staring out the darkness of the airport and into the night sky. The stars were twinkling, winking down at all of earth's inhabitants. Leah was leaning into my chest, her eyelids closed. It was almost midnight; our flight was about to board. The trip would take about 23 hours, but that is only plane time. We planned to arrive in Fiji on March 28th, so that gives us a little more than a day to arrive.

"Newlyweds?" A voice chimed in to my left. It was the local anchorman, Todd Boatwright. He was dressed in casual clothes, holding a single carry-on.

"Yes." I murmured, lightly kissing Leah on her crown before turning my attention back to him. "You're Todd Boatwright, KING 5 TV." He smiled and looked out the window.

"Yup, that's me."

"Where are you heading out to?"

"Japan. I need to find myself." He sighed, frowning, and looked back at me with a sheepish smile. "You don't know how much I envy what you have right now; a wife… a _family_….

"What's your story?"

"I was in love with a girl named Miranda. We had dated for seven years, and on our seven years and six months anniversary, I asked her to marry me. Unfortunately she didn't feel the same way. She was crying because she was confused; said she needed to think, some time alone, but I already knew that our seven years were gone. She was supposed to be the one…" He swiftly wiped the corner of his eye, and slowly brought his gaze back to me.

"I'm so sorry, man. I went through something similar… I was crazy, head-over-heels for a childhood friend, and she chose the man I hated most in this world. My true enemy. No matter how many times I attempted to convince her that I was better for her, _healthier _for her… she was blind and deaf to my words and actions. He even _left_ her once; she went into the deepest depression I've ever seen… she was literally withering away before my eyes. I comforted her—basically was her Band Aid—and just when I thought I had her, he came back. Then they moved away, and I honestly didn't know what to do with myself. I was depressed for about two years before I found Leah. And it was the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life. I wouldn't trade anything that I've gone through for this. She's honestly perfect."

Did he hear the way her name rolled off my tongue like a soft caress? Instinctually, I pulled her sleeping body closer to mine.

"Loves a funny thing, isn't it? It can cut you down, make you feel like the lowest of the low, but on the other hand, it makes you feel complete. That's what I see when I look at you and your wife. It almost hurts, to be honest. I just know that you'd never leave her side if she needed you, and that is what I need, what I hope, to find." He smiled again, but I saw the true pain behind them, and he picked up his briefcase.

"I should be going. My gate is boarding now. It was nice talking to you…"

"Jake. Jacob Black."

"It was nice meeting you, Jacob. I wish you and Leah the best. Look for me on TV some day." He ended with a half-hearted smile.

"I hope you find her." I called after him.

A few moments later, the intercom came on, and our flight was called. Luggage in my left hand, and Leah in the other, we boarded our plane to paradise.


	5. Chapter 5: Honeymoon

Chapter Five:

I was on the plane ride from hell. During the entire duration of the flight, the imbecile of a child behind me kicked my seat the _entire_ 17 hours and 30 minutes to Sydney. Despite my acidic glares, the kid didn't stop; to make matters worse, his pathetic sidekick sniggered and egged him on further each time I turned around to glare at him. On top of that, there were two infants on the plane, who cried, simultaneously, for more than half the flight.

Needless to say, I nearly phased.

Leah was hissing warnings in my ear by the end of the flight, and all the passengers parted like the Red Sea when I walked by. By the looks on their faces, I most likely resembled the Hulk.

"I swear on my life, Leah, if we _ever _have kids, they _will not_ behave like that." I growled through gritted teeth as I briskly walked toward baggage claim. Leah had her elbow hooked through mine, and she was struggling to keep up.

"Slow _down_, babe. Our bags aren't going anywhere." She grumbled, softly stroking my arm in an attempt to calm me down.

"I'm a little irritated, _honey_. I want to get away from those mongrels called children before I rip one of their heads off."

"Our kids aren't going to be like that." She retorted defensively.

"What if they are? I won't be able to handle it! I won't do it."

"You're making a scene." She hissed.

We had reached the baggage claim now, and people were swarming around the luggage. I didn't want to have another encounter with those mongrels, so I was eager to grab our bags and leave the airport.

"Wait here." I kissed her cheek and headed for the bags. She sighed but obliged, and leaned up against the glass windows overlooking the multiple runways.

My size comes in handy when I'm in a crowd; people dispersed, naturally, as I approached the luggage, and I impatiently tapped my foot as I scanned the baggage. I wanted to get out of this God-forsaken airport before those sad excuses for children showed up; I highly doubted I would have as much self-control as I did previously. They got lucky.

After about five minutes of waiting, our huge grey duffel scooted its way onto the conveyor belt, and I lifted it off the belt with as much effort as picking up a feather. A man next to me struggled with his wife's colossal pink duffel, and I chuckled to myself. Leah was gazing out the window, the sunlight illuminating her entire face. The sunlight brought out the natural reds in her hair, and her face looked like that of an angel's.

"Hey, you ready?" I asked, slinging the duffel over my right shoulder and extending my left hand to her. She broke her gaze from the window, flashed me her beautiful, angelic smile, and nodded, taking my hand in hers.

It was just in time, too, because Dumb and Dumbass had just rounded the corner, and were wrecking havoc left and right like little tornadoes of doom, their mother completely oblivious. Either that, or she was a pushover.

"Let's get _out_ of here," I grumbled, glaring at one of them on the way out to the parking lot

A chauffer from the resort we would be staying at flagged us down a few minutes after we emerged from the airport. His name was Sterling; his skin was a sun-kissed caramel, and his hair was sandy-blonde with eyes bluer than the ocean. He was a tall and lanky man, but his face was round and juvenile.

"Mr. and Mrs. Black," he nodded his hello, "here, sir, let me take your bag." He extended his hand and I handed him our stuffed duffel. His arm buckled a bit under the weight, and I flashed him an apologetic smile before opening the car door for Leah and slipping in after her.

Sterling drove us to a helipad which would then transport us to Malolo Island Resort. Leah and I thanked him, gave him a small tip, and hopped into the Helicopter.

A few minutes after liftoff, Leah and I were gazing down at the breathtakingly beautiful blue waters of Fiji. The ocean was cobalt blue, slowly turning a cerulean as it approached the shore. The sand was whiter than flour, and dense, lush, green forests blanketed the various islands. In other words, I was ready to dive into those waters and snorkel in the reefs.

Once we landed at our Resort, two male workers from the resort took our luggage, loaded it into a gold cart, and transported us to our villa. It was tucked away in a small, secluded corner of the beach; Leah and I had specially requested one of the most private villas at the resort. Since we were both living at home prior to our wedding, we did not have much time to be alone while we were home. That, however, was all about to change.

"Thank you, Paulo." I called to the driver as they drove away. He gave me a cordial wave, and soon disappeared into the forest. Leah had already run inside, and was no doubt exploring every inch of the place.

The exterior looked like your average hut; pointed, grass roof, white stucco on the outside with a winding trail which lead to a dock at the water. Our front doors were two enormous French-doors, with white privacy drapes covering the windows. With the duffel in my right hand, I opened the doors and revealed the inside of our villa.

The floor was entirely wood paneling. The front door opened directly into the living area; two couches, white and crème colored, were positioned around a mahogany coffee table adorned with candles and incents.

Two wicker chairs were also perched across from the white couch, accented with white pillows. Straight ahead from the door, is a clear view of the ocean and our spa. The entire back half of the villa is glass windows, revealing the ocean and bleach-white sand. Leah is standing on the doc that extends about 50 yards out from our spa. She had her hands on her hips as she admires the sunset, the sun just breaking over the horizon, casting every shade of magenta in the night sky.

The waters have turned shades of indigo and purple, the clouds the color of a pink rose. I slowly make my way behind her, wrapping my arms around the front of her waist. She sighs into me, resting her head against my right shoulder.

"It is inconceivable how beautiful it is out here." She murmurs, mesmerized by all the natural beauty surrounding her.

"It is inconceivable how beautiful _you_ are; you are more beautiful than anything that I have ever, and will ever see, Leah. And I know you may not believe me or agree with me, but I'm being completely and one-hundred percent honest."

Many men probably say that to their wives; that they're _the one_, but we all know that is a lie. Especially prominent when men cheat on their wives; but for me, I will never want anyone else in my entire existence.

When I look at Leah, I still feel as if my heart is going to implode, that my knees are going to turn to marshmallow spread, wild hornets swarming in the pit of my stomach. I still get the butterfly sensation when our gazes meet, when I hold her in my arms. Everything.

"This is why I'm in love with you." She whispers, and I can almost hear the smile in her voice. She slowly turns around, and tears have welled up in her eyes. One strays from the rest, slowly trickling down her cheek. I gently lean down, kissing her tear away, and enveloping her into me. She tightly wraps her arms around my mid-chest, rubbing her hands in small circles on my back. As the sun goes down, and the iridescent moon climbs to its peak in the sky, we break our embrace.

"I think we should check out the rest of the villa…most importantly the bedroom." She states, flashing me a seductive wink before quickly running back to the porch, her hair swishing behind her. A ripple of arousal vibrates through my body, and I chase after her, catching her at the porch, and lifting her up, twirling her around in a circle.

Once her feet touch the ground, she grabs me face between her hands, pulling my face down. She lightly bights my bottom lip before forcing my mouth open with hers. Before I know it, her hands are knotted up in my hair, and her body is pressed up against mine as close as our clothes would allow it. My hands trail up and down her body and underneath her shirt.

My left dances up and down her bare back while the other cups her chin. Our tongues move in synchronization as our lips whisper together. A small groan escapes her lips, and she slowly untangles her hands from my hair, and she trails her hand down the middle of my chest as she pulls away.

"I won't be able to control myself if we keep going. I don't want to get any complaints about sex in public." She teases, pecking my lips before quickly disappearing into the living room. I sigh heavily, taking a few moments to calm myself down before entering after her. God, she's seductive.

Our sweet is entirely white. I mean, _everything _is white. White tile, white walls, the bed frame is a deep mahogany with white comforter and accenting baby blue pillows. The bed is king sized—thank God—and one-third of the wall is entirely windows.

Our bed is up against the east wall, looking out the window-wall to the beach. Our bathroom is on the west side of the room, and _wow_ is it a bathroom! When you first walk in, the first thing you see is a bowl-shaped Jacuzzi tub, large enough to probably fit Sam, Paul and myself in it, _comfortably_.

Keeping things uniform, two all-glass doors are on the opposite side of the tub, once again revealing the ocean. The countertops are white marble, the floor a silvery tile. The walls are an earthy brown, marble-like in texture, with white Hibiscuses dancing along the entire wall. Bottle after bottle of name-brand shampoos, conditioners and body soap stack the table beside the tub, while candles hang from the walls. The shower is dual-headed, and probably the size of my bedroom at home, and comes complete with a _steam _setting.

"Well, I could get used to this." I mumble, tracing my finger along the entire length of our countertops, which is white marble. Not even a speck of dust. Unbelievable.

"This is insane. I can't believe how luxurious this is!" Leah's voice echoes from the shower.

"I can't believe how much my wallet is going to be hurting after this." I grumble as I open an _Aveda _bottle of shampoo.

"Honey, it'll be worth it." She replies as she emerges from the shower. "There's _a steam_ setting in there…who needs a sauna?"

"And there's a Jacuzzi tub. Like the one we have on the deck isn't enough," I tease.

"The bed is comfortable. And spacious." She comments, seemingly nonchalantly.

"It sure looks it. I'm going to sleep like a baby tonight."

"I highly doubt I'll be doing much sleeping tonight." She adds, walking behind me, trailing her finger from my right shoulder all the way to my left, leaving a trail of fire.

"Oh? Why not?" I smile, playing dumb.

"I guess you'll just have to figure that part out on your own." She whispers, gently pressing her lips against mine. The kiss begins softly, and just when I think I can control myself, Leah places a hand on the lower half of my stomach.

Tingles vibrate through my body, and I can no longer contain myself. I groan, lifting Leah off the floor and onto the counter. She wraps her legs around my waist, pulling me closer, knotting her hands in my hair. Her back is pressed up against the mirror, and every bottle of soap clatters to the tile floor.

"Oops," I mumble, pulling away to survey the damage. Leah lets out a throaty giggle, before turning my face back to hers.

"I think we should move…." I barely whisper. She merely looks around and shrugs.

"Yea, probably," she sighs, hopping off the counter. She glanced at the bottles on the floor, most likely debating whether she was going to pick them up or not, took my hand, and led me to the bedroom.

The crispness of the comforter was soon wrinkled, the pillows being cast to the floor. We nearly knocked a lamp off of one of the bedside tables. Leah is sitting on my stomach, in only her bra and underwear. Silver moonlight pours in from the window behind her, casting shadows along her face. Despite the darkness, I can see a small glimmer in her eyes, and when she smiles, her teeth seem to glow.

"What are you staring at?" She whispers, leaning forward and resting her elbows on my chest, her face inches from mine.

"You."

"Clearly…I meant, why?"

"Leah," I sigh, "we've been through this. You're so beautiful…you make me nervous, yet I can't take my eyes off of you. You're quite alluring too."

"Well then," she murmurs, her lips brushing against mine as she speaks, "_what are you waiting for?_" Her lips hovered over mine for a few moments. As the anticipation built up, a small growl erupted from my chest. She grinned and sighed, and that's when I lost it. I rolled, Leah now beneath me, and ripped the small amount of clothes that stood in my way.

Leah let out a giggle, grasping my face and forcefully pulling it to hers. She was everywhere; my neck, my ears, my chest. I trailed up and down from her chest to her mouth, kissing every inch of her. She grabbed my back, pulling me as close as possible to her, grinding her body into mine.

I groaned, rolling over and flipping her on top of me. She paused a moment, perched on my waist, trailing her hands up and down my chest. She had a mischievous smile on her face, and she bit her lip. She doesn't play fair.

In a second, I had grabbed her and forced her lips back to mine. I was feeling every inch of her body—she was back under me now—and I slowly calmed down, softly moving her onto the bed next to me, folding her back into my chest. She signed, falling into my embrace. I softly kissed her head, and pulled the covers up to cover half of our bodies.

I made passionate love, for the very first time, and to the woman of my dreams. This was the epitome of perfection; for once, I had finally done something right in my life; I had finally found my soul mate.

The next morning, I awoke with Leah snuggled up beside me, her head on my chest. Yellow morning light was streaming through the open window, and I could hear the waves crashing against the beach coast. The smell of salt and brine filled the air, and the subtle cawing of the gulls and seabirds created a mellow atmosphere.

Leah stirred then, and slowly opened her eyes. She smiled when she saw me, and snuggled even closer into my body.

"Morning beautiful," I whispered.

"Hmm, morning," she replied, sitting up, holding the white sheet to her chest. "What time is it?"

"About nine thirty," I replied, mid-yawn, and I groaned as I stretched my arm and shoulder muscles. "Not too early, not too late."

"Do you want to go walk on the beach?" Leah asked, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed dropping the sheet, and walking to the bathroom. I didn't answer at first, watching her. Leah's body is perfect; perfectly toned, muscular legs, a lean stomach, and the most beautiful, russet skin imaginable. She stopped in the threshold to the bathroom and glanced back over her shoulder.

"Keep your eyes to yourself," she teased, followed by a wink.

"As tempting as that sounds, I think I'm going to have to pass…" I replied wittily before I too got out of bed. Leah rolled her eyes and disappeared into the bathroom, with me following in suit. She was standing in front of the mirror, brushing out her hair. I came up behind her, wrapping my arms around her shoulders.

"I love you."

"I love you too," she replied, leaning up to kiss my cheek. "You never answered my question."

"Which one?"

"Do you want to go on a walk or not?"

"If you want to."

"Somehow I knew you were going to say that…it shouldn't always be all about me!"

"I want it to be; I want you to be happy."

"You're the most stubborn person on this planet." She threw up her hands as she said this, groaning.

"That's why you love me." I joked.

"No, that's why I'm _in love_ with you." She replied, lightly kissing my lips. "I'm going to go get dressed. You should too."

"Aw, I like you better _without_ your clothes on," I wrinkled my nose and frowned.

"Hm, well, you should see _plenty_ of me later tonight. You just wait and see."

"I'm holding you to that," I called after her as she disappeared into the closet.

After our walk on the beach, Leah and I went snorkeling in the coral reefs. By one o'clock, we were in a boat, racing into the big blue, the wind whipping through our hair. The boat ride would be an estimated twenty minutes, into one of Fiji's most popular reefs.

Leah really hoped to see some spotted eagle rays, clownfish, clown triggerfish, and in her opinion, if we were lucky, a bull shark, and a great white. I, on the other hand, would settle for a simple angel fish. But Leah, of course, was an ambitious and brave warrior.

"I _really _hope we see some sharks; then I can brag _all _about it to Seth." She mused aloud as we neared our destination.

"I could go without the sharks," I replied, taking another sip of my water. Man, this water really _was_ fresh.

"Aw, are you afraid it's going to gobble you up?" She teased, smirking.

"Oh yeah, Leah, because that's possible, right?" I retorted, rolling my eyes. She merely giggled and turned her attention back to the cerulean waters before us. Truth be told, I had always been deathly afraid of sharks when I was younger. Now I know that they could never hurt me, even if they wanted to. They'd shatter their teeth. However, I still may or may not be antsy in their presence.

"Okay, we're here." Our guide announced as the boat came to a stop. Leah sprang out of her chair, and quickly shimmied out of the white cover up she had over her bathing suit. She sported a coral two piece adorned with white hibiscuses. The color playfully blended well with her skin tone.

"Come on, Jake. I don't have all day," she winked before diving into the sea. Our guide, Keith, simple grinned at me.

"She's beautiful."

"She sure is; I don't know what I'd do without her." I replied, glancing into the water just as Leah's head popped back to the surface. The water was completely clear; explosions of color were all around the boat under the surface of the water. Schools of yellow and blue fish swarmed throughout the coral, a lone eel snaking its way through the middle.

"You know, some people are iridescent; and once you find them, no one will ever compare." He mused aloud, staring off into the sunlight.

"Are you married?"

"I was. Susan was incredible; I lost her to leukemia five years ago. To this day, I still cannot even look at another woman the same way I looked at her. No woman has, or will ever compare to her, and my heart is not capable of loving anyone other than her. The only thing that keeps me going, is knowing that I will be with her soon enough." He looked to the heavens as he said this, and a faint smile spread across his lips.

"I'm so sorry. That takes a lot of strength." A lump had formed in my throat, at just the mere thought of losing Leah. I would not be able to stand it.

"Don't be; I don't cry anymore. I smile when I think of her, because it reminds me of how lucky I am to have ever had her in the first place."

"Jake, are you coming? You've _got_ to get down here; it's absolutely breathtaking." Leah called from the water.

"Don't keep her waiting, sport. You never know how long you'll have with her." Keith urged, "have fun out there."

"Thanks," I replied. I walked to the edge of the boat, and Leah's face emerged from the surface of the water. She smiled, and the sun glinted off her teeth and almost blinded me; her face lighting up like an angel's. She beckoned for me to come forward. I didn't need to think twice; I quickly dove into the chilly waters.

These waters would normally be bone-chilling for most humans; most needed wetsuits. However, running an almost one-hundred and nine degree core body temperature came in handy. I looked around my surroundings; I was in a coral castle. Coral was all around me, a rocky landscape peppered with orange sea anemones, purple sea urchins, and species after species of aquatic plants.

Multiple families of clown fish loitered just on the outskirts of their protective anemones, while schools of angel fish flittered in and out of crevices in the coral, and through tunnels leading to other unseen parts of this aquatic wonderland. I saw Leah out of the corner of my eye, closely examining a small crab as it scuttled along the ocean floor. I quickly swam to her side, and together we continued our exploration of this underwater universe.

The next week, Leah and I did possibly everything under the sun; hiking in the forests, swimming with porpoises, dolphins, and some sting rays. Every night, we watched the sunset together, and rose to watch the sunrise, an early way to start our day. I made love to Leah almost every night, falling more in love with her every moment that I was with her—I was pretty pleased with myself for keeping one of my vows; it gave me hope that I would keep every single one of them, something I planned on doing.

Today, Leah just wanted to relax. It's seven o'clock, and the sun has just broken over the horizon, casting a million shades or orange, red, and pink, setting the clouds on fire. Streaks of purple and blue linger in the sky, remnants of what used to be the night sky. Our feet dangle into the water as we perch on the edge of the dock, and Leah is resting her head against my shoulder. She is wearing only a baby-blue, over-sized collared shirt, exposing the full lengthiness of her legs.

"What do you want to do today?" I whisper, wrapping my arm tighter around her waist.

"Hmm, I want to just relax today. We only have two more days here, but I'm almost positive we've walked or swam every inch of this place." She yawned, snuggling into my neck.

"You can go back to sleep if you want; I don't want you to be worn out."

"No, I'll live. Going to sleep only means less time I can spend with you. You sleep, I sleep. If you're awake, I'm awake." She murmured, sighing into my neck.

The sun was now halfway risen now, and the sky was a canary yellow

"If you insist," I replied, kissing her crown.

Today, Leah went to the spa. She got the full package, whatever that consisted of. She was gone for a good four hours before she returned, completely relaxed and rejuvenated. Luckily for me, she was extremely aroused. Needless to say, our once crisply made bed, and spotless bedroom was now ransacked and overturned.

"I never want to leave here," she groggily mumbled, her head on my chest. I could feel her heartbeat on my stomach, slow and steady.

"Me neither; this is so much better than reality."

"If only life was _really_ like this; no work, no school, no pack… just me and you. That's all that we would really need."

"Hm," I smiled at the thought. "I do miss Seth, though."

"Of course you do." She rolled her eyes, and propped herself up on my chest with her elbows. "You don't know how easy things have been since you and Seth get along. Seth and Travis _never_ got along; I probably should have listened to Seth when he told me Travis was a jerk…but _no_. I had to be the stubborn, know-it-all, snob of a big sister. Turns out Seth was right in the end, huh?" She massaged her temples and sighed.

Travis was Leah's boyfriend after Sam. They had dated for about five months, before he broke up with her for another girl, which most likely contributed to Leah's bitterness. Thankfully she changed, because we probably would never be where we are today had she not.

"Leah, I'm curious about something."

"Hm, what about?"

"Well…what was the _real_ reason that you said we should get married? Was it really because of the bloodline thing, or was that just a cover up?" I raised my eyebrow, and smirked. If that was a cover up, then damn she's good.

She smiled before responding.

"Well, it was a cover up. Jake, I've been in love with you since we had to start protecting Bella from Victoria. I don't know what it was—I was just _drawn_ to you. And the way that you watched over Bella and how much you cared about her and would do _anything_ for her…I wanted that. And you're hilarious, and passionate; you're a leader, and well quite honestly, you're so attractive Jake. It was all just…what I wanted. You were the ideal man I saw myself marrying. But Bella was in the way; which is why I hated her. And she put you in danger more times than I can count on my hands. I mean, why do you think I was so _angry_ when you let that newborn pulverize your bones?" She winced at the memory. "I had to be an idiot and tried to take him on my own, and you came and rescued me, but at a cost your safety." She bit her lip and frowned.

"Hey," I murmured, softly kissing her lips, "don't think I regret getting the whole right side of my body broken for you. I would do it over again for you, tenfold. I didn't even have a second thought about helping you, Leah. Don't beat yourself up over it." I kissed her again, and she sighed, twisting her fingers into my hair.

"I love you," I whispered against her lips. She groaned, hitching her leg up around my waist.

"Ready for another round?" She growled, trailing her hand down my chest.

"Do you even need to ask?"

Later that day, Leah and I went kayaking. A natural spring snaked its way through the jungle which surrounded our resort, and we spent hours marveling at the sheer beauty that was bestowed upon this utopia of an island. Leah took picture after picture—we definitely accumulated enough pictures over these past 6 days to make more than two photo albums. Watching her gasp as she gazed into the canopy of trees above, the yellow light from the sun streaming through the leaves, illuminating her face like an angels made my heart melt into my ribs. I felt like a teenager again.

At the end of the stream, the jungle opened up into a large cove, with the tiniest yet majestic waterfall. The water was bluer than a glacier, and clearer than pool water. Leah immediately ripped off her shorts and plunged into the water. Despite my body heat, the water was like icicles stabbing into my arms as stray droplets pelted my body from her splash.

"Holy mother it's cold," She gasped when her head broke the surface.

"Oh please, don't be such a baby." I teased, winking.

"Then why don't _you_ get in here?" She replied, reeling back her hand and splashing a bucket of water onto me.

"If you insist…Cowabunga!" I bellowed as I launched myself from the boat, flipped midair, and landed in a cannon ball right next to Leah. The moment my toes hit the water, I knew I'd made a mistake. The temperature of the water bit at my legs and joints as soon as I was submerged, and I quickly kicked my way to the surface of the water, desperate for some sunshine.

"Pretty sure I just flew out of the water," she teased, immediately swimming to my side, kissing my cheek.

"It _really is_ cold in here." I said through gritted teeth.

"Aw, it gets better. But I can't help but say I told you so." She smiled in spite of her wittiness, and turned to swim towards the waterfall. I followed in suit, and aided her as she climbed up onto the rock base of the fall, quickly disappearing behind the wall of water. I hoisted myself up on the ledge with ease, and stepped through the water, and into the mouth of a small cave.

Leah was nowhere to be seen.

"Lee?" I called, my voice bouncing off the walls in an echo. I knew she was hiding; she wanted me to come find her. "Ready or not, here I come." I whispered, smiling to myself. The cave snaked to the left, and I cautiously made my way along the cave, trailing my hand along the right side of the wall. I had taken maybe about twenty steps, when I felt her presence:

"Found you," I murmured. She sighed and stepped into my path, wrapping her arms around my neck and pressing my lips to hers. She knotted her fingers in my hair, turning the kiss into a passionate and fiery embrace. Her hands were everywhere; my hair, neck, and chest, leaving a trail of fire in her wake. Her tongue tickled the top of my mouth, and she groaned when I pressed her against the wall, her body rubbing against mine. My hands were all over her; her cheeks, neck, and lower back.

"Jake," she sighed, hoisting herself up on the wall, wrapping her legs around my waist. I couldn't contain myself any longer. I groaned, ripping her tank top from her body, and casting it to the floor. A small growl escaped her lips, which were soon crushing against mine. Her arms feasted over my bare chest, and a small groan escaped my lips as she kissed the nape of my neck.

"Here? Are you sure?" I whispered against her lips.

"I don't care where; _just now._"

And with that, I ripped the remaining clothes from Leah's body, claiming her for my own.

All but too soon, our honeymoon was over. Leah and I hiked or swam the entire area of our resort, and even found time to use the spa in the short twelve days that we were there. Leah and I made love every night; an accomplishment that every man wants to achieve. That being said, however, Leah and I fell more in love with each other with each passing day.

Neither of us are ready to get back to our regular schedules once we're home. College is _not_ something both of us are looking forward too—mostly because of the extra responsibilities that it will bring. Studying, going to classes, and _lots_ of reading. Keeping up with the pack might be a strain, but knowing that I will have the love of my life by my side throughout it all, makes it all worth it in the end.

I cannot wait to start a family with Leah; I can just imagining our children running around in the forest behind a house we'll buy in La Push. It's beautiful.

As Leah rests her head on my shoulder and the plane takes off from Australia, I can feel the new segment of my life beginning. Leah and I are now forever molded together in life, and I'm never turning back.


	6. Chapter 6: A New Roommate

_**Author's Note: **_

_**I. AM. SO. SORRY. It has taken me an eternity to get this chapter up. I went on vacation to Hawaii and things got so hectic this past couple of weeks..I am so sorry! I am definitely going to try to get chapters up faster and this hopefully will never happen again!**_

Life unfortunately went back to normal as soon as we returned home. We have yet to find a place of our own to stay at—classes don't start for another two weeks—but the faster we can find a house, the better. I would like some privacy every now and then.

But be that as it may, we are _so_ thankful for my dad and Sue allowing us to house-hop every couple of days.

The entire pack greeted us when we returned home which was such a relief. Leah worried that even though things seemed picture-perfect at the wedding, that some people were just putting on a happy face for the day, considering marriage is always a joy.

"Look who came back in one piece!" Embry teased, grabbing Leah into a hefty embrace. She laughed and socked him in the shoulder when he put her down.

"Very funny, Em."

"I'm genuinely surprised—Jake is humongous. And you know what they say about big…"

"EMBRY. Can we _not_?" I yelled, his sentence dissolving beneath the volume of my voice.

"You know I'm just kidding, Jakey-Poo." He grinned before also bear-hugging me. Leah just giggled and flushed crimson before disappearing into the house to most likely find Emily.

"Jake!" Paul called as he came running from the forest. "Sorry, I heard you come back but I had to change first—didn't think Leah would want to see me naked…she probably wanted to see a clothed man for once…" He and Embry high-fived eachother and snickered.

"You guys are _so _funny! I'm not telling you about _any_ of it." I replied sarcastically, rolling my eyes. Paul threw his shirt at me, covering my entire face.

"We're going to find out the second you phase, remember?" Jared's voice came out from somewhere in the background, and I could hear that he too had a smile in his voice.

"I hate you all. Nosey assholes." I grumbled, ripping the shirt off my face and launching it back at Paul. "I missed you guys."

After we reunited with everyone, we all went our separate ways for the night. Ever since the Cullens fled down, vamp hunting has been on the low, considering no new ones were migrating into town.

Seems to me like Bella is always an issues, anywhere she goes. Thank God they're all gone; the thought that my kids would have been in mortal danger, every single day if they would have stayed here makes me nauseated. Good riddance they left. My quality of life increased exponentially in more than just one field.

"Jake, come eat!" Leah's voice shattered my reverie, and I swiftly hopped off of my bed, sauntering to the kitchen. Leah and Sue were hovering around the over, anxiously waiting for the timer to go off so the lasagna could be taken out of the oven.

I tiptoed up behind Leah, wrapping my arms around her lower waist and kissing her on the cheek. I felt her cheeks lift up a tad as she smiled, and she reached up to stroke me cheek with her right hand.

"Hi," She whispered, too quietly for Sue's mortal ears to hear.

"Hello," I replied, just as quietly, pecking her neck.

"Not now," She hissed, playfully swiping at my face. I smirked, stealing one last kiss before she shooed me out of the kitchen.

Seth was sitting in the living room watching TV, so I joined him while dinner was still being prepared. He greeted me with a smile and then turned back to the show.

The show consisted of eight lunatics wasting away their nights getting drunk and having sex with random strangers that they met at the club. They all have ridiculously stupid nick names for each other and they are about as trashy as you can get.

"Seth..what the hell are we watching?" I finally burst after about five minutes of this garbage

"_Jersey Shore_." He snorted, kicking his legs up onto the coffee table as if he was preparing to be here for awhile.

"May I ask _why _we are watching this garbage?"

"Because this is the only thing on the TV that isn't news or wrestling right now. Oh, or the Spanish channel. We could always watch that."

"For the love of God, why is this even airing?" I could feel a migraine coming on by the second. "Well if you would like to sit here as your brain turns to oatmeal, be my guest. I'm going to find my wife." I stood up in disgust and sauntered back into the kitchen.

"Babe…it's been five minutes. I promise I'm almost done." Leah said the second I walked into the kitchen.

"I either sit in here and wait, or I sit and watch shitty, I mean _Jersey Shore_. Your brother is an idiot for watching that." Leah snorted and tossed some forks into the sink. They clattered against various pots and she untied her apron.

"Yes, that he is. That show is useless. Ready to eat"

"Is that even a question?"

After dinner, Leah and I went for a run in the forest. It had been awhile since I had phased, and it felt great to be in wolf form. The mud was smooth against my paws as we cut through the Canadian forest; Leah was right beside me the entire time.

The familiar thoughts and voices from the pack welcomed us home, but there was one voice in particular that I didn't recognize. It was a male's voice, and he had a slight accent that I couldn't put my finger on. He sounded like he was American, but certain words that he said were slightly different…

_Leah._

_Yes?_

_Do you hear that voice? I have never heard it before. _

_I haven't noticed anything…everything sounds like buzzing. You know that._

_I know…but listen carefully. There's someone new. A male. Listen._

She was silent for a few moments before she answered.

_I have no idea who that is…_

_I want to find out. _

_What do you suppose we do?_

_He's close. I can tell. Do you hear how loud his thoughts are becoming? He's got to be within a fifty mile radius…_

_Go east. I'll go west. _

_See you in a bit. _

I swiftly cut right, sprinting through the thicket, bounding over boulders and fallen trees. His thoughts were wondering; something about leaving home, something about a young girl namedNatalie, but it was extremely scatterbrained and I couldn't pick up anything concrete.

As I jumped over a river, the thoughts were so close that he could have been right next to me. I stopped running, scanning the forest in an attempt to catch a glimpse of anything that would give away his position. I turned my head to the left slightly when his thoughts said something about jumping on me. I couldn't move in time, and he slammed into me.

He was a pretty moderate-sized wolf, but even at that I skidded across the mud a few feet before I threw him off of me.

_What the hell, man? _I growled, shaking the mud off my fur.

_It was all too easy; I couldn't resist. _He barked as he chuckled, scratching his back against a nearby tree.

_Who are you? _

_Lance. Lance Docherty. _

_Where are you from?_

_Canada. _He answered wittily.

_Thanks, couldn't have figured that out myself. _

_I'm originally from Quebec._

_Then what are you doing all the way in Vancouver?_

_I have nothing left in Ontario. I'm the only person of my pack and family left. That's why. Any more questions, Sherlock? Last time I checked, I don't answer to you. _

I struck a nerve. Oops.

_Yea, _oops_ is right. Maybe that will teach you a lesson about being so nosey around strangers. _

_ Look, I was just trying to make sure you're not a threat, okay? I have a family to protect. _

_ Do I look like a threat to you? I'm not a leech. _

So he uses derogatory names for vampires too…I think I might like him.

_I'm Jake. _

_ I know. _He rolled his eyes and plopped down on the mud, resting his head on his paws.

_My pack is open to newcomers. You're more than welcome to join us. _

_ I prefer to roam; I don't like people very much. They always let you down. _

_ In case you haven't noticed, we're not really people. _

_ Yea, I guess we're not._

Lance took me up on my offer in the long run. He had been alone for almost _three years_. How did he not go absolutely mad? I don't know what I would have done or where I would even be without the pack. Even when I was going through my depression, they helped take a lot of the pain away. And that made everything worth wile. Community actually meant something, and regardless of how often we piss each other off and argue, we love each other.

"So you're telling me that you randomly run into this guy in the woods, and you decided that he is trustworthy enough to bring home. Have you lost your damn mind, Jake?" Sam exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose in disapproval.

"Sam, he is harmless. Have you even looked at him?" I retorted, motioning to my left towards the window. Lance could be seen laying on his back in Sam's front yard, eyes closed, enjoying the sun. "He is absolutely harmless. And I bet you he isn't a day over eighteen. He needs people."

"Jake's right, you know." Emily appeared from the kitchen, holding two beers. She placed them on the table and went to stand behind Sam, placing her hands on his shoulders. He relaxed and closed his eyes, slowing leaning his head back against her.

"I don't know about this…" Sam's voice was monotone, but I knew that he wasn't going to argue any further. "If he causes _any_ discord, he's gone. Do you hear me? And I am holding you accountable for anything and everything that he does. And if anything goes awry, it's on you Jake. Got it?"

"Yes, I understand. You don't have to worry about him. I'll take care of it." I replied, grabbing my beer and sauntering towards the door. "Thanks Emily, see you later." I waved a hand over my head as I closed the door.

"I think he likes me." Lance mumbled without opening his eyes.

"Sam just worries. He has a family to take care of."

"So you've told me," he replied in a bored tone, rising from his grassy bed, leaving the indention of his body on the ground. "And I'm twenty, by the way."

"Eighteen…twenty…what difference does it make? You still can't drink." I smirked, taking another sip of my beer.

"Touché my friend." He called over his head as he disappeared into the woods.

It's been about two weeks since Lance joined our clan, and he has fit in easier than I could have ever expected. He and Paul seem to have the most in common, which no one ever saw coming. Paul typically is the hardest person to warm up to when you join the pack, because he's just an asshole, but Lance doesn't even seem fazed by Paul. Which I thank God for. I knew Lance would fit in well, but I was most worried about Paul accepting him.

Paul being who he is, doesn't naturally become friends. With anyone. And he is the last person I would have wanted Lance fighting with. Sam most likely had the same precautions, but he too has grown fond of Lance.

We haven't found a permanent house for him yet, so he has been house hopping between me, Paul, and Jared's houses until he can find a permanent residence. Leah and I currently have the same problem; we want to stay close to the pack, but that means we will have to build a house. That is not even close to being affordable considering the little funds that Leah and I have. All of the houses around here are occupied, or aren't for sale. Not even for rent or lease, either.

Leah is extremely frustrated; I don't mind having a little distance between us and the pack, as long as it's not an entire city away. Leah just wants to be close because when we have kids, we want them to be able to play with their cousins. She is looking into the future. But considering we are going off to college soon, I assumed we would have enough time to figure something out by the time that we graduate.

Not many Quileute tribe members end up making it to college; they usually just stay in the pack, manning the territory lines, protecting the village, etc. But that was when we had vampires around…so seeing as there is no real posing threat right now, Leah and I figured it wouldn't hurt to get a college education while we could.

It was a beautiful night tonight; the sky was virtually cloudless, the moon hung luminously in the sky, casting a perfect silvery twilight throughout the forest. It was a perfect night for a walk in the forest. Leah had just jetted off to Emily's to drop off some casserole she had just made. Billy wasn't home; he went on a fishing trip, and Lance was staying at Paul's tonight. So we had the house to ourselves.

I really wanted Leah to be home with me right now. I literally do not have anything to do with her being gone. I tried to go walk around outside, but that only lasted about five minutes before I became bored and returned inside. I attempted to read, but my thoughts kept wandering back to how badly I wanted Leah to be in my arms.

I had about carved my footsteps into the wood paneling in our front room when I heard her approaching the door. My heart instantly sped up, and I had the door open before she could even put the key into the keyhole.

"_Finally_," I half-whispered, exasperatedly before pulling her through the threshold and into my arms.

"Woah there, buddy. Take it easy." She smirked, tossing her bag onto the coat rack by the door. The second she had turned back around, I had her in my arms again, my lips whispering against hers. She ran her fingers through my hair, and I could feel her smiling slightly beneath my lips.

"Could you have taken any longer? I was about to lose my mind," I whispered, leaning my forehead against hers.

"You are such a drama queen; I was gone for _maybe_ thirty minutes."

"So be it. I don't like being away from you."

"Mmm," she let out a throaty laugh before pushing past me seductively, disappearing into my bedroom. I followed in suit, and found her lounging leisurely on my bed.

"Billy isn't home." I said casually, walking over to my window.

"Oh? Fishing trip?" She replied just as nonchalantly, pretending to inspect her fingernails.

"Bingo. Lance is staying at Paul's tonight too…"

"That's good. I'm glad he and Paul clicked. Paul needs someone who can put up with his bullshit."

I didn't reply this time. I simply walked over to my bed and sat down beside her, stretching out on my back.

"You're killing me," I groaned, folding my hands behind my head and closing my eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied, but I could hear the humor in her voice. I felt her shifting in bed next to me, before she had crawled onto my stomach, resting her elbows on my chest.

That was the only cue I needed. "I think that—" she began, but I didn't let her finish before I rolled over, hitching her leg up on my waist. She grabbed my face, forcing my lips to hers. I felt fire shoot up my entire body, my heart felt like it was going to explode from my chest.

She groaned slightly, wrapping her legs around my waist, pulling me closer. I paused slightly only to remove my shirt. I slowly crept one hand up her shirt while the other gently cupped her chin, while she fidgeted with the elastic band on her running shorts.

I helped her slide them off her legs, and she gave me a sheepish smile after I had tossed them next to my shirt.

"You know…I _was_ going to suggest that we look at some more college scholarships tonight…but…"

"Oh we could totally stop if that's what you want…" I replied as I began to reach for my shirt.

"Shut up." She replied, launching herself onto me. I chuckled and fell backwards; she was now straddling my hips.

"Ugh, I hate it when you wear jeans…" she mumbled as she unbuttoned them.

"Liar."

"I hate when you wear jeans when I am trying to get them _off_ of you. Good lord why are they so _tight?_" Her brow furrowed as she attempted to yank them off of me.

"Well...I thought you would know the answer to that by now," I replied wittily, flashing her a childish grin.

"Ha-ha. You're hilarious. Help me, dammit." I shooed her hands away and slid out of my jeans with ease. I couldn't help but smile as a cute pout formed on her lips from embarrassment.

"You're almost _too_ good at this, Jake. Sometimes I start to wonder…"

"You cut that out." I grabbed her, pulling her into my lap and softly kissing her rosy red lips. "You know you're my first, and my only. It's just cute watching you struggle to simply get my pants off. You horny little frog." I whispered, kissing her neck.

"You're one to talk." She half-whispered as my kisses trailed down to her chest and back up.

It took about another ten minutes of Leah teasing me before she finally had all of her clothes off. Our bodies softly moved in synchronization, each curve of her body fitting perfectly into mine. She kept whispering my name, over and over again, and that only fueled my fire.

I buried my face into her neck, kissing every single inch of her body possible before I would bring my lips back up to hers.

"Oh God, Jake," She moaned, arching her back and curving her body into mine. I didn't think anything could possibly ruin this moment until Lance walked down the hallway.


	7. Chapter 7: An Astounding Discovery

**Chapter 7:**

"Oh my _God_." Lance gasped, immediately covering his eyes and stumbling back down the hallway.

"_LANCE. WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?_" I roar, leaping off of Leah in about 0.2 seconds, slamming the door shut with so much force that part of the paneling cracked. "Shit," I muttered.

"I am _so _sorry! I had no idea…I just needed to come get my toothbrush!" His voice cracked. He seemed to be just as embarrassed as we were. Leah by this point had buried herself under the covers, and she was groaning with chagrin.

"You should have called." I said flatly. My eyes were closed and I had my forehead pressed up against the doorframe, exhaling sharply through my nostrils in an effort not to phase.

"I had no idea…" he squeaked.

"Oh bullshit! It's not like the pack doesn't know what goes on with me and Leah…you guys can read every waking thought we have."

"Jake, I honestly don't know what I'm supposed to say right now. I am so sorry…this is never going to happen again." He was outside the door now; I honestly couldn't blame him. He didn't mean to.

"It's okay. Just call next time, okay?"

"I will. It's not going to happen again. I didn't see her, by the way. Don't worry."

"Ha, okay man. I feel a little better about that. I'll see you tomorrow." I walked back over to the bed.

"Don't look at me," she groaned, bunching up the sheets as much as possible.

"Oh be quiet. You heard him—he didn't even see anything."

"Shut up. I don't care. I am mortified." She snapped, but still scooted over so I could lay down next to her.

"Come here you sourpuss." I smirked, pulling the covers off of her. She frowned, but snuggled up close to me.

"I am never going to be able to look him in the eye again." She groaned, covering her face.

"Lee, it's not even that bad! We see everyone naked at one point in time…" I began drawing small shapes on her cheek, until she looked up at me.

"It's not the same…I don't care if I know people are going to see me naked! I didn't think he was going to see me without my clothes on Jake!"

"Leah, he didn't see you. You have nothing to be embarrassed about." I began to laugh. She was being absolutely ridiculous.

"Don't laugh at me!" She punched me in the stomach and rolled onto her side, facing away from me.

"Aw, come on. You're just so damn cute! I can't help myself." I scooted over, folding her body into mine and wrapping my arm around her chest, resting my chin on her head.

"I love you." She murmured, turning around so our faces were centimeters apart.

"I know," I grinned, stealing a quick kiss.

"Ugh, you always ruin everything!"

The next morning, Paul and Jared, of course, had loads to say about the fiasco last night.

"So I heard you and Lance got cozy last night, Jake." Paul shouted from across the yard, seconds after I stepped out of the house.

"Shut up, moron." I yelled back.

"He said Leah's gained weight!" He retorted before he bust into laughter about his own joke.

"Fuck you." I was walking towards him, he was within hearing distance now.

"Aw, Jakey you know I'm kidding."

"I know," I replied, grabbing him into a headlock and wrestling him onto the ground.

"Get off me! That's not fair dude, you're like twice my size." He choked out, flailing his arms around.

"Then don't talk about my wife like that." I replied, rolling off and jumping onto my feet. Paul sat up and smirked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You know I love her like a sister."

"Yeah, I'm just messing with you. It's nice to know you're still sort of afraid of me," I smirked, sauntering off into the forest.

"Prick!" Was the last thing I heard before I phased.

Sam and I met about two miles away from our village. Life had become so crazy since we both got married, since he has Isobel…it had been a long time since we actually spent quality time with each other. I had almost forgotten that Sam had become one of my best friends.

Since we didn't have a ton of pack issues to deal with, we didn't have as many "reasons" to hang out with each other; but today we were going to run the border of Washington and hopefully get back in time to catch dinner.

_I heard about Lance, _Sam's thoughts poked into my head, and I could hear him laughing.

_Yeah…it was extremely awkward. _

_I wish you could have seen the look on his face when he got back to Paul's. Me and Emily were over there having dinner and he looked like he had just seen a ghost or something. It was awfully funny. _

_Leah literally wouldn't even let me see her after it all happened…and even after I reassured her that he didn't even see her. She was petrified. _

Sam barked out a laugh; we had just met up in the little cove of trees cut out in the middle of the forest.

_We see her naked all the time. You'd think it would be normal for her by now. _

_That's what I said. She's looney._

_So what's the plan for today? It feels like forever since you and I have done anything._

_I just figured we could run the border of Washington. And just wing it if we think of something better. It gives us the day to just hang and we'll most likely be back by seven. _

_Sounds like a plan. _

Sam and I covered a little over 400 miles before we made a pit-stop in Spokane. Sam had some old friends who lived over there, and we decided we would stop there for lunch. You'd think that being a shape-shifter and everything, that we would also have the appetite of a wolf…but trust me; raw meat is revolting.

During my younger wolf days, I had once experimented with deer. Needless to say, I was the butt of everyone's jokes for the next couple of weeks because of that one.

Sam's friends, Easton and Charlie, were roommates who had met in college but never imprinted on anyone. Sam met them one day in the woods during his transition, and they basically kept him from committing suicide. Sam thought, as did we all, that he had lost his mind. I honestly don't know how I would have reacted had Sam not been around.

Sam stayed with Easton and Charlie for a little less than a year, when he had his anger and everything else nearly under control before he came back to La Push. It had been quite a few years since he had seen them, and he was going to drop by as a surprise.

_I really hope they're actually home. _He laughed at the image of us arriving at their house, and nobody being home. An image soon followed that consisted of Sam and I invading their house—most importantly their refrigerator—until they came home.

_I'm sure they will be. _

_Well we're about to find out…you see that white house? That's it. _

_Last one there eats last. _I challenged before sprinting off into the direction of the house.

I, of course, beat Sam to the house. As I approached the edge of the forest, I slowed to a mild trot; even though they too were wolves, I didn't want to startle them by barging through the forest. They most likely would phase and it wouldn't be a very nice first impression.

I could see someone laying in the front yard, most likely napping. He was shirtless and wearing jorts that were frayed at the ends, and was shoeless as well. He was muscular, just like every one of us are, and had dark red hair—almost an auburn color—and had deep russet skin.

I slowed to a walk, and slowly emerged from the forest. He seemed to have heard me, because he stirred and sat up, stretching and glancing in my direction. He was quickly on his feet, taking a defensive stance in my direction. I knew if I took another step that he would surely phase.

I couldn't think of any way to communicate to him that I wasn't a threat without phasing…which did not seem like a safe idea. So I did what any normal dog would do if it was submissive: I slowly crouched down and rolled onto my back, hind legs and front paws pointing towards the sky.

I looked like an idiot.

_Sam…HURRY UP. _

_ I'm right behind you, you big baby. Maybe next time you shouldn't go into unknown territory…especially if the person _doesn't know you.

_ Yeah, yeah, whatever. _

Sam soon emerged from the forest behind me, and he snorted in amusement when he saw what I was doing.

_Get up you idiot._

_ Oh, I seem to have forgotten that I can speak human while in this form. _

Sam rolled his eyes before he began walking towards the man.

_ That's Easton. He surely will recognize me—STOP walking. _

Easton had narrowed his eyes and was slowly in the process of taking his shirt off. He was getting ready to phase.

_Maybe now would be a good time to phase, captain. _I chimed in. Sam simply nodded and quickly phased, pulling his shorts on in one smooth maneuver. He began to take a step forward when Easton yelled out.

"Don't move." He paused, his shirt dangling in his hand.

"Easton, it's me, Sam Uley."

"_Sam_?" I could see Easton squinting his eyes before a huge grin spread across his face. "Charlie! Get out here!" He yelled before jogging over to me and Sam. He was laughing by the time he reached us, and he threw his arms around Sam.

"We have missed you dude! We thought you'd never come back!"

"Trust me, if you knew all the things that have been going on in La Push the last couple of years…" He quickly glanced at me, "you'd understand why I haven't gone anywhere in about ten years."

"Well we will have plenty of time to talk about it. Whose your friend? I about phased on him when he came through the trees." Easton grinned sheepishly at me. "Sorry, man." I took that as my queue to phase.

"No problem. I should have waited for Sam, but I was racing him. I'm Jake, by the way." I extended my hand. Easton grasped my hand and firmly shook it.

"Nice to meet you, Jake. C'mon, let's go find Charlie."

Charlie and Easton lived in a small two bedroom, one bathroom house. The front door entered directly into their living room, which composed of two couches and a huge plasma screen TV. The kitchen was tucked away behind the living room, and a small hallway led to the two bedrooms and single bathroom.

"Charlie?" Easton called as soon as we entered the threshold.

"What?" A distant voice called.

"Get your ass our here. We have company!" Easton replied, sauntering over to one of the couches and sitting down. "Sit, please. I'd feel rude if you didn't" he motioned towards the couch. Sam and I obliged.

I heard heavy footsteps on the hardwood floor coming from the hallway. It took only a few moments before the voice of Charlie entered the living room.

"But we weren't expecting anyo—SAM!"

"Hey man! Long time no see!" Sam was on his feet and he embraced Charlie.

"Well you're not a little shrimp anymore…look at you, all muscle and manly now."

"This seems to be a reoccurring joke these days…" Sam replied, chucking before he turned towards me.

"This is my wingman Jake. Jake, this is Charlie."

"It's nice to finally meet you." I extended my hand and shook Charlie's.

"Oh? Sam must never talk about me then…" Easton pretended to pout on the couch. Sam threw a pillow at him and Easton just chuckled.

"Are you guys hungry? We just got finished grilling lunch." Charlie offered, walking towards what I expected was the kitchen. Sam and I simply looked at each other and laughed.

"Do you even have to ask?" Sam replied.

We had BBQ, potato salad, and banana pudding for lunch. Total man meal. We talked about how Charlie and Easton had both never imprinted on anyone. They changed back in their sophomore years of high school, and despite desperate attempts to find their soul mate, neither one of them succeeded.

I briefly explained how Leah and I were in the same situation, but miraculously we had fallen for each other, and we weren't worried about imprinting because most people in our pack had imprinted already anyways.

"So…let me get this straight. Leah dated you," Easton motioned towards Sam with his spoon, "but you imprinted on Emily. And now Leah is married to you," he motioned at me.

"Yup," Sam and I agreed in unison.

"Interesting…did you ever think that would happen?"

"Oh I never thought in a million years that I would even come to be _friends_ with Leah," I guffawed. "But one day…something just changed I guess. Leah and I actually were afraid of our bloodlines dying out and so we kinda got engaged as an act of desperation…but as it came to be, I legitimately fell for her. And she had been in love with me for a couple years. I feel like I could write a romance novel about it." I joked, spooning pudding into my mouth.

"Now _that_ is a love story. It's not all perfect and creepy and match-makey like Uley's over here…" Easton said. Sam retaliated by flinging pudding straight into his face.

"Hey! Don't waste valuable pudding on him. You know he's just jealous." Charlie interjected, chuckling at his own humor.

"You know I'm kidding Sam. I bet Emily's a doll." Easton wiped pudding off his face, sucking it off of his finger before wiping it off with a napkin.

"You are a pig; it's no wonder you're single."

"What can I say…the ladies dig me."

Sam and I stayed until about 5 PM before we had to head back out towards La Push. We figured we would make it back by 7:30 if we didn't make any stops .

"I am so glad we stopped by…I can't believe it's been so long since I have seen you two."

"I can't believe you only stayed for a couple of hours. You better promise me that you will come back more often. Or we will go down there…introduce us to some of your hot friends." Easton replied, slapping Sam on the back.

"Deal. I promise to call ahead of time, though."

"Jake, it was awesome meeting you. I look forward to the next time we see you." Charlie smiled, shaking my hand.

"The feeling is quite mutual, Charlie. You too, Easton."

We had just opened the door to leave, when Charlie stopped us.

"Don't go out there." Charlie was in front of us now, slamming the door shut.

"What the—Charlie, we have to leave."

"East, do you _smell_ that?" Charlie had narrowed his eyes. Easton's nostrils were flared and he nodded, swiftly walking towards the kitchen to look out another window.

"What are you two talking about?" Sam was increasingly becoming anxious by the second.

"They're close. Within one hundred miles." Charlie called to Easton, ignoring Sam. We had caught on by that point—vampires were in the area.

"Charlie, let me and Jake help you. We're experienced with this kind of thing." Sam was standing right in front of Charlie, demanding his attention.

"Sam, no. If you and Jake got hurt, I couldn't have that on my conscience. You actually have families."

"Charlie, trust me. Jake and I are more experienced than your average wolf. Let us help you."

"I—"

"Listen to him, Charlie. I trust his judgment." Easton had reappeared from the kitchen. Charlie closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, weighing his options. He really didn't have much of a choice, though. There was no way Sam and I were going to let them go out there alone.

"Fine. Let's go."

We swiftly took off, Charlie leading. We ran north, straight towards the Canadian border. Which doesn't surprise me; vampires have been consistently choosing Canadian provinces to make their home ever since wolf packs were began to rise here.

_It's getting stronger. _Charlie said.

_I agree, _Easton said. I quite honestly didn't smell anything yet.

_I honestly don't smell anything. _I admitted.

_It's getting really strong…trust me. You'll know it when you smell it. I swear it smells like flowers are exploding everywhere. _

Typical vampire scent: sweet. Yuck.

As we neared the Canadian border, Charlie came to a dead halt.

_ Stop. They're near. _That's when it hit me. The smell was so strong, I felt like I had just walked into a cheap perfume store. It smelled like flowers mixed with sugar, and my nostrils were on fire. There was something eerily familiar about this scent, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Most vampires smelled the same, though. So I brushed the thought aside.

_Charlie and I are going to go northeast. You and Jake go northwest. _Easton ordered. We nodded, and parted ways. I let Sam lead, flanking him on the right. It felt exhilarating, being alert. It has been too long since I've had to use my instincts like this.

_I can hear them,_ Sam said, slowing his run to a trot.

_Me too. They're hunting. They're about a mile away, I'd say. What's our defense going to be? _

_ We want to go undetected. Let's go slowly. _

_ Got it. _

Sam and I slowed even more to an almost inaudible walk. I could feel the hairs standing up on the back of my neck, my tail pointing out behind me.

_Sam, do they smell familiar to you? I can't place the scent, though. Maybe I'm just imaging it. _

_ No I definitely recognize it. I can't place it yet. _

We were within twenty yards of them now. I told same to go from the left, and I'd come in from the right. I skillfully maneuvered through the trees, scaling the outskirts of a small cutout in the trees where the leech was. This one was alone, but I knew the others were within close proximity. I could hear it sucking the life out of an animal, and it made my skin crawl. They're _disgusting_.

I could see light streaming through the leaves and gaps between the barks of trees now. I could make out a silhouette in the white light, crouched over an elk. It had long brown hair, but that was the only observations I could make from my vantage point. I needed to get closer.

I slowly crept towards the last of the trees, pausing every now and then so as not to give away my position. I wanted to sound like any other animal in the forest, scurrying along the trees; not a hunter stalking its prey.

_It's a female, Sam. I've almost got her. Are you close?_

_ Within 100 yards from you. I'll cover you. _

_ Got it._

I slowly walked into the middle of two trees, positioning myself directly parallel to her. She was so captivated by the elk that she didn't even sense my presence. I slowly crouched into a lunging position, and I felt saliva fill my mouth. This was going to be all too easy.

A menacing growl escaped my lips and I lunged myself forward, just as she looked up from her meal. I landed about five feet from her, and stopped cold in my path. Now I understood why that scent was so incredibly familiar.

Standing in front of me, clothes shredded and stained red, wind whipping wildly through her hair. Blood dripping down her mouth…Standing in front of me, was Bella Swan.


	8. Drastic Times Call for Drastic Measures

**A/N: I AM SO SORRY THIS HAS TAKEN A MILLENIUM TO GET TO YOU. So many insane things have been going on and I would be surprised if I still had readers after the injustice I just paid you all. However, I hope this chapter is filled with enough excitement to satisfy you, and with summer coming up, I will have time to actually update regularly again! I love you all, thank you for all the support, and I hope you enjoy Chapter 8!**

I was paralyzed in my position: crouched, all weight forward, ready to lunge at her jugular. But I couldn't move. Bella stood over her kill now, simply staring at me. She had a perplexed look on her face, and she seemed to recognize me, yet she couldn't place the face. She reeked like sweet perfume and cinnamon, but she was undeniably _beautiful_…

_ JAKE, NO! _Sam slammed into me, knocking me sideways and resuming my position, except his teeth were bared and he was snarling. Bella immediately narrowed her eyes, and softly, almost inaudibly whispered, "_Edward, I need you please._" Her gaze never leaving Sam. They slowly began to move in a circle, not once letting their eye contact break. I, however, just sat there like an incompetent idiot.

_Jake.._get up_. _ Sam's authoritative voice commanded. My sense was immediately knocked back into me, and I swiftly joined his side. I could hear someone sprinting through the forest—most likely Edward. I couldn't wait to rip his head off, destroying the very thing that forced me into this lifestyle. The only reason I never shredded him to pieces was because of my blind pathetic love for Bella. But none of that mattered anymore.

He broke through the trees to my right and within the blink of an eye, he was at Bella's side, eyes narrowed at Sam and I.

"We do not wish to fight, and I sincerely apologize if we caused any discord. We will leave immed—Jacob? Is that you?" His brow furrowed, and a frown formed over his lips as he diverted his gaze from Sam to me.

_Does it matter? _I thought to him. I had already been screaming expletives at him as soon as I knew that he was within ear shot—or mind-reading shot…whichever—and I was surprised he wasn't aware of my presence until now.

"Jake?" Bella's voice was soft and hopeful. She was gazing at me with a longing in her eyes, and she took a step forward. Edward immediately grabbed her arm, and didn't allow her to go any further.

"Edward, let go of me."

"Bella…"

"Let go of me. I'm not completely defenseless anymore." She looked back at him, and they just stared at each other for a few seconds before he scowled and released her. She turned on her heel and was looking at me again.

"Jake…if that's really you…please don't hate me. If you knew the reason why I…why I turned, you'd understand. I know you would. I miss you; please talk to me. It's been years since I've seen you and it would break my heart if I knew that you hated me too." She bit her lip and extended her hand towards me. I stood up from my crouch, but Sam growled.

_ Jacob…she's dangerous. _

_ And if I die then it's my fault._

_ Do you hear yourself? YOU ARE MARRIED. You have a wife at home that is waiting for you; a wife that is most likely beside herself with worry because we were supposed to be home an hour ago. Have you lost your mind? _

Leah. I love Leah. I am married to Leah. Leah is my wife. Bella is the enemy, and she abandoned me for that leech standing no less than ten feet away from me. _I wasn't good enough for her. _I looked at Edward and wrinkled my nose in disgust.

_Tell her it's me. _I said to Edward. He was glaring at me, but he obliged nonetheless. An enormous smile spread across Bella's face.

"Jake! It's really you!" She cried, flinging herself forward and wrapping her arms around my neck. I immediately stiffened and a growl rippled through the air from Sam. She quickly realized her mistake and immediately backed away from me a few steps.

"Oh…I'm sorry. I know I must smell terrible. But now I know what you guys mean when you always complained about how the other one smelled… You don't smell that bad to me, though." She smiled sheepishly. She was absolutely clueless.

"Bella, I think it's time to go now." Edward's voice broke the silence in a monotone.

_Tell her I'm sorry. _Sam kicked me with his hind leg for that one.

"Jacob apologizes for his rudeness. He and Sam have somewhere that they need to be, so they must be going now." Edward joined Bella's side and wrapped his hand around her waist, beckoning her in the direction of the forest.

"But…but they just got here…Jake, _please_ talk to me." She turned towards me, eyes full of pain, guilt…_regret_. She bit her lip, and I'm almost positive that she would have been crying had she still been human.

_Don't you dare phase. You'll be completely vulnerable. _Sam warned. The thought _had_ crossed my mind, I'll admit it, but he was right. And for once, I was going to listen to him.

"Jacob is not going to phase, Bella. They must leave. But to answer your question, Jake, we are currently staying in Winnipeg with Esme's friend."

_Who is _we_? _

"Me, Bella, Jasper, Alice, Carlisle, Esme, and my daughter. Emmett and Rosalie are in Costa Rica but when they return we will be moving on to another province." Edward was running his fingers through Bella's hair and she smiled softly up at him.

_You have a _daughter? I almost screamed at him.

"Yes," Edward's face lit instantly. He finally showed another facial expression that wasn't boredom or malice. "Her name is Renesmee."

Sam and I returned home at nine o'clock. When I walked into my house, Leah just about ripped my head off.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? I HAVE BEEN WORRIED SICK." She barreled into me, an angry scowl on her face.

"You could have phased…" I barely whispered, a tad bit afraid to be snarky with her right now. It was true, though.

"That is beside the point. You told me you were going to be home at seven o'clock." She snapped, walking away from me, into the kitchen. She began throwing pots and pans around in the sink, cursing when one of them broke. I sighed and slowly followed her into the kitchen and stood in the threshold while she washed dishes.

"Go away. I'm upset with you." She muttered, rinsing off a plate and placing it on the drying rack.

"Lee…don't be like that." I replied, walking over to the sink, leaning against the cabinet so I could look at her. Her eyes were red and a tear was running down her cheek. "Are you crying? Babe I'm sorry, don't cry!" I immediately had her in my arms—ignoring the soapy water trickling down my shirt—and cupped her face in my hands.

"Why are you crying?" I whispered, gently caressing the underside of her chin with my thumb. Her long hair was naturally parted to the side, her long lashes fanning out around her eyes. She was so beautiful, even when she was crying.

"I don't know. I just felt like crying," She admitted, shrugging.

"I'm sorry that I upset you," I murmured, leaning down and pressing her lips to mine. She closed her eyes and sighed, leaning her head against my chest.

"Don't ever do that again without calling to tell me."

"It won't happen again, I promise."

I decided that tonight wouldn't be the best time to inform Leah about my encounter with Bella. Leah was very emotional for some reason, and I didn't want to cause her anymore stress tonight. I called Sam while she was showering, and we agreed that we needed to hold a powwow with the pack to discuss a few things.

Of course, I would brief Leah about it before the meeting; I couldn't imagine what she would do if I didn't. It's not that I am _afraid _of telling Leah about me and Bella's run in, but I don't want her to react negatively; I didn't want any unnecessary thoughts to enter her mind. I didn't want her to have to deal with the grief of worrying about me and my faithfulness, now that Bella seemed to partially be back in the picture. I would never, in a thousand years, be unfaithful to Leah. But I hated the fact that Leah now had to deal with the thought in the back of her head.

Lance came home tonight. He, Leah and I stayed up watching _Arrested Development_ until about two o'clock in the morning. Lance felt more and more like my brother with every coming day. He had a witty personality that meshed well with mine, and he was a complete prankster. What I loved about him was that he pulled the old-school pranks. Last night for example: he simply taped the kitchen sink spray nozzle, and when Leah turned on the water to do the dishes, water completely soaked her shirt and face. .Last week, he and Paul went to the store and bought about two hundred golf balls, jamming our cabinets full of them. You can guess what happened when Leah opened our cabinets for a glass or a bowl…

She didn't find it as hilarious as I did.

Lance was basically everyone's kid brother, and everybody loved him. But with our possibly new-found threat, we needed to train him for fighting. I was already dreading the hours upon hours of training that were in store for all of us once Sam declared the Cullens—once again—a threat. He always did.

But even if Sam made us train when we didn't need to, we wouldn't survive when we had unexpected threats pop up into our territory. He's a good alpha, and even though others wish I would step up and rightfully claim his position as mine, our friendship is too important to me to become disloyal.

"Oh my God," Leah's frantic thoughts broke through my train of thought. We were laying in bed, trying to fall asleep. She was resting with her head on my chest, like she always does, but she sprang up so abruptly that her head connected with my chin.

"Ow!" We both groaned in unison.

"What's wrong?" I grumbled, rubbing my chin.

"I totally forgot that we start class next week. Everything has just been flying by and I have had so many things that I've needed to take care of that I completely lost track of time! We haven't even purchased our books or anything and now we are most likely going to pay a fortune because we waited so long! This is a disaster!" She was talking so quickly that her words suddenly began to blur together and I am almost positive I could hear her heart rate picking up by the second.

"Shh," I interrupted her, pressing my finger to her lips. "Don't worry about that right now. We are going to be fine; just go to sleep. You are so dramatic."

"If we weren't married, nothing would get done!" She hissed.

"I know…you know I appreciate everything you do. But you just worry about so much; I'm surprised your brain hasn't imploded yet." I softly rubbed my hand up and down her back and kissed the crown of her head.

"Sleep. We'll figure things out tomorrow."

"I love you," she whispered, snuggling up closer to me.

"I love you too. Night, Lee."

Leah and I rose at about ten o'clock. Lance and Billy were already at the kitchen table, crunching on over-cooked bacon and toast, while Billy drank coffee, and Lance orange juice. Leah wrinkled her nose when she entered the kitchen and picked up a piece of bacon to inspect it.

"Delicious." She smirked, crumbling the charred stick of meat between two of her fingers.

"I like my meat well-done," Billy chuckled, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Remind me to teach you two how to cook at least something simple one of these days…I don't want you to starve." She smirked, turning on the stove to make pancakes.

About an hour before the meeting was set to convene, I called Leah into the living room so I could speak with her. She did not seem to sense that anything out of the ordinary was going on, but the second that I sat her down on the couch she became uncomfortable.

"Is..everything alright…Jake?" She had her legs folded up underneath her, with her hands placed in her lap while she nervously twirled her wedding band around her finger.

"Mostly…it's nothing that you've done. It just…something that we need to talk about before we go to the meeting tonight." I nervously ran my fingers through my hair before continuing.

"Babe, you don't have to be nervous about telling me…" She scooted closer to me, placing her hand on my right forearm.

"I'm not nervous.."

"You run your fingers through your hair when you're nervous, and you're not looking at me right now. I know you're nervous. Now just talk to me." She put her hand under my chin and turned my face up to look at hers. "Talk."

"When Sam and I went to Canada, we ran into on the way back…Sam and I smelled a vampire and we went to go check it out because we didn't want Easton and Charlie to have a complex on their hands. And me and Sam are experienced with vampires and so we decided to help them out and I'm so sorry Leah but it was Bella and Edward and I didn't know what to do and I froze. And they have a daughter Leah. A _daughter_. Is that even possible? I didn't even think that was possible. How does that even happen? And I don't want them coming back into my life and ruining what I have with you because they are dangerous and I love you so much and I don't want anything to happen and i—"

"SHHH." Leah covered my mouth with her hand. "You are talking so fast."

"Leah, I love you. You know that right?" I sounded so pathetic, like a child almost, begging for her to understand and forgive me. The fact that Bella could ruin my entire life and future at this point has me shaking with fear. As if she has not screwed up enough things in my life, she could take Leah away from me.

"Jacob Black, what has gotten into you? If you think I would disown you because some psychotic ex-girlfriend popped back up, then you are insane."

"She wasn't ever my girlfriend."

"Shut up, you know what I mean. Jake, I am crazy about you. I am married to you, and I still get butterflies in my stomach when you walk in the room. When you touch me, I feel like my heart is going to explode from my chest; when you kiss me, my stomach melts into a pool of…chocolate. I don't even know!" She was laughing now at the audacity of her verbiage. "I would rather die than not be with you. And you didn't do anything wrong, babe. That ignorant, selfish succubus did this. She thinks that she can just waltz back into your life as if she even _deserves_ to be in it. She thinks she can just run back into your life with your arms wide open? _I don't think so_." Leah's eyes had narrowed almost to slits, and I could feel her anger rippling off of her like a wave.

"Lee…" I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into my lap. "You're so adorable when you're angry and protective." I leaned my forehead against her, and a small smile escaped her lips.

"So, what _are_ we going to do about this?" She whispered.

"Well, Sam is going to call a meeting…and tell everybody…" I wrinkled my forehead just thinking about the hostility that would break loose.

"Someone better chain Paul up then…he's going to be livid." She grumbled, rolling her eyes.

"Tell me about it. Oh…there's one more thing, though."

"What?"

"Edward and Bella have a kid. Names Renesmee."

"Excuse me? _What_?" She stuttered on her words, eyes enlarging to the size of quarters.

"That's exactly what I said."

The meeting was scheduled as soon as everybody had woken up; which meant that Paul and Quil were still half-asleep when it started. Sam usually never eases into whatever news he has, but for whatever reason, he did on this occasion.

He began asking everyone how they have been, what had been going on since we had held out last meeting—which was a pointless question considering we always knew what was going on—but everyone answered nevertheless. Emily told a couple stories about Isobel, which slightly lightened the mood. But when the silence finally became too awkward for Sam to bear, he finally spoke on-topic.

"Well, as you all have probably figured out, I didn't just call this meeting for no reason." He began, quickly glancing around the circle before continuing. "Since the Cullens have left town, we haven't needed an elaborate defense system. We did not have any huge threats to protect our people from." He swallowed and paused, nervously glancing at me for the approval to continue. I simply nodded and Leah tightened her grip on my arm.

"Unfortunately, we might have a new threat. While Jacob and I were up in Canada, we ran into…a rather large issue…" Sam's voice trailed off, and the pack was so silent that we could hear him swallow. Everyone was on the edge of their seats, especially Paul.

"What kind of _issue_, Sam?" Paul's voice was barely audible, but the amount of tension in his voice was clear.

"We went and visited my old friends Easton and Charlie, and while we were there we caught scent of some vampires right before Jake and I left. Jake and I split up from them, and we traveled in two groups. We were walking through the forest when Jake spotted them. It was Bella and Edward Cullen." Sam's voice trailed off towards the end of that sentence, and the entire group was so quite that the only sound was that of people inhaling and exhaling.

"Sam, if this is some sick joke that you're trying to pull, I can guarantee you that it's not funny." Paul was out of his seat now, muscling shaking from his biceps to his calves, nostrils flared and jaw clenched.

"Paul, I wish I could truthfully tell you that I was joking, but I am being completely serious." Sam's facial expression did not change the entire time he was speaking; it remained in a blank, forward stare, intently into Paul's eyes. Paul closed his eyes and sharply exhaled before promptly returning to his seat, although his fury was still circulating through the air like a current.

"Now, I know that this news sounds bad enough already, but there is one more thing that I need to add…" Sam continued, quickly glancing warily at me before continuing. This was the part that everybody was going to be in an uproar about.

"Bella not only is a vampire, but she and Edward have a daughter." Sam slowly spit the words out, nearly through clenched teeth, and that's when all hell broke loose. Paul phased on the spot, knocking Quil and Lance off of their seats with a flick of his tail. People were shouting obscenities left and right, but the only audible sound I could hear was Leah sternly ordering people to sit back down. Sam remained in his seat amid the clamor, seemingly waiting for the right moment to demand for order to be returned.

Paul had disappeared from our sight, most likely having run off into the woods to burn some steam off. Quil and Lance were back on their feat now, Quil more attentive than Lance about the situation—in all honesty, I don't even think Lance knows completely what is going on aside from the fact that there is a clan of vampires back in town.

"Everybody sit down. Now." Sam's voice was calm and collective; he didn't even raise his voice. But that was all that it took, because in no time—albeit amid juvenile groans of protestation—all had returned to their seats. Paul returned within five minutes and pouted next to Lance on the moist dirt.

"I know this is a lot for everyone to take in right now. And I know that some of us deal with the Cullen issue better than others," Sam glanced at Paul, who shrugged it off like it was no big deal, "but I think that we can all agree that this is something that needs to be taken care of. The Cullens have roamed freely through our land for far too long, and it is about time that they were put in their place." Sam's voice was rising now, passion filling his voice as his authority became unshakably fierce.

"We need to end this dispute once and for all. This will be the last time that the Cullens do not think twice about returning to their beloved Forks. We are going to make them remember why that treaty had to be set in place; make them remember what happens when they trespass. And most importantly, punish them for their unspeakably dreadful deed. The child must die." Sam was nearly screaming now, having risen from his seat, all the muscles in his neck flexed.

There was an uproar of cheers as Jared, Embry, Quil, and Paul leapt from their seats, throwing their fists in the air and roaring with Sam. Lance sat on the floor, a perplexed expression on his face, not completely understanding the gravity of the situation. Leah grabbed on to my arm at Sam's last statement, staring furiously into my eyes as her expression screamed for me to do something.

Sam wants to punish the Cullens for trespassing. Sam wants to punish them for reproducing. Sam wants to punish them for breaking the treaty and making Bella a vampire. And most _importantly_, he wants to exile their child. Their swine. I was all for it.

Too long have I had to deal with Edward always getting everything that his heart has desired; I have always had to pick up after him after he leaves the dismantled consequences of his actions behind. Yet, regardless of the deeds that he performs, things always work out in the end for him.

That's not going to happen this time. Edward, at one point, had taken virtually everything away from me that had value. He stripped me of anything that I had held dear, aside from my father. He abandoned his girlfriend, and I took care of her, nursed her back to health and sanity. She fell in love with me, although she never admitted it, and he came back just in time to brainwash her back into being with him. And I was left alone, once again, to deal with the consequences of _his _behavior.

Not this time. And if that means his child has to die too, then so be it.

"Tomorrow, we plan. I want everyone back here at six thirty sharp, and not a minute later. We need to discuss strategy, defense, and our offensive approach to this. I do not want to waste any time. We cannot allow them any leeway nor any chance to figure out what we are going to do. Jacob and I will fetch Easton and Charlie in a few days, and they will join our forces. We are going to take them down once and for all."

"Jake, you must do something!" Leah begged, running her fingers so harshly through her hair that I was sure she would be bald by the end of the night.

"You heard Sam just as clearly as I did, Lee. What he says, goes. And I can't say that I object his decision on this." I replied as gently as I could, pulling her down to sit next to me on the sofa.

"How can you say that, Jake? That's a _child_. An innocent child, who has not done anything wrong aside from being born into the wrong family. It can't help what it was born in to. It didn't have a choice!"

"Leah, she is a danger. How do we know that they are raising her correctly? For all we know, they are going to brainwash her into some killing machine who is going to wipe out our pack. Do you want to risk that? I know I don't. I can't even fathom the thought of losing you. Especially to a deranged vampire." I caressed her cheek with my forefinger, and a tear escaped from her eye.

"Jake," she whispered, placing her hand on mine and removing it from her face. "it's a child, Jacob. How would you feel if that was _our_ child? I hate Bella and Edward more than you even do, but try to put yourself in their shoes. How would you react if someone murdered our child? We would not go peacefully. We are putting our entire village at risk by attacking the child."

She had a point; Edward and Carlisle have always chosen verbal communication and confrontation over physical action. And maybe they would negotiate verbally, but maybe not. Regardless of how they handled the situation, they still had to pay the consequences for what they did.

"Leah, I know they violence is not always the answer. I know that Carlisle prefers verbal negotiation; but that does not make what they did okay. Someone has to pay."

"And that someone has to be their child?" Her voice cracked at the end of her sentence and she turned away from me.

"Leah, don't be like that. Babe, I can't do anything about it. Yes, if I was in Edward's position, I would kill every last person affiliated with the man who killed my child. But the sad fact of the matter is, I'm not Edward. I'm not in Edward's position. I can't let my emotions get in the way of keeping you safe. Of keeping everyone safe."

Leah did not respond. She slowly turned back towards me, her face holding an expression of both frustration and fear. She grabbed one of my hands and intertwined her fingers with mine, and let out a long sigh.

"Leah…are you okay?" I could hear my voice wavering a tad as I spoke, afraid of what she might say next. She cocked her head to the side, and with her free hand, nonchalantly placed it on her stomach.

"Jake, I'm pregnant."


End file.
